Bodyguard
by Sapphire.Piano
Summary: When Princess Marinette and Adrien go through an unfortunate incident, they are forbidden to step outside of the palace. When Marinette turns 17, all she wants is to go outside. Her father finally allows it, but there's a catch; she has to have a bodyguard with her wherever she goes. And that's not even the worst part. Her bodyguard is none other than...Chat Noir.
1. Chapter 1

Ten-year-old Princess Marinette opened her eyes to the sight of the sun rising in the bright blue morning sky. She blinked a few times before her eyes were able to adjust to the blinding rays of the light. Sighing, she stretched her arms and legs, feeling the soft plush of the blanket against her bare legs. She got out of bed and put on a pale pink robe that was adorned with small embroidered ladybugs.

She reached upwards to pull on the cord hanging from the ceiling and pulled on it three times to summon her favorite maid, Katerina. She knew that she would come soon, so Marinette waited patiently for a few seconds. A strange glinting coming from the window caught her eye and she rushed to see it close up.

"Oooh, that's sparkly…" She whispered to herself as she continued to gaze at it. An idea popped into her mind as she quietly walked over to the door. She opened it, and peeked outside, making sure no one was there. At this time, even the guards were asleep. They technically weren't allowed to be asleep at all, but she couldn't blame them. It _was_ pretty early.

Marinette tiptoed across the mile-long hall, not daring to take a breath when she passed her parents' bedroom. In the midst of her sneaking around, a loud clank echoed from throughout the palace suddenly. She hid behind a marble pillar quickly as she waited for the noise to pass.

A gruff yawn across from her sent her into panic mode. Sweat began to form on her forehead. She held her breath as she peeked a single eye open to see what was in front of her.

A guard stretched his arms, opened his eyes, but just as quickly went back to his slumber. Marinette sighed in relief. She hurried towards the door that led to the garden, looking behind her cautiously when she crashed into someone.

' _Oh no oh no oh no!'_ , was the mantra that she kept on chanting as she felt her back collide on with the floor. She squeezed both of her eyes shut tightly as she waited for someone to scold her behavior.

"Your Highness! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." The voice was very familiar. She slowly opened one eye cautiously as she saw Adrien, one of her closest friends in the palace standing in front of her with a worried expression. He immediately offered his hand for her and he pulled her off the floor.

Adrien was the only son of the palace's tailor and his mother had died in childbirth. He was her best friend, along with Alya and Nino, who also lived in the palace. Alya was one of the cooks' daughters, while Nino was a guard's son. Marinette couldn't remember a time where they weren't there.

"Adrien! I've told you a million times not to call me 'your highness'! You're one of my closest friends. Marinette is okay!" She giggled suddenly as she saw his gaze turn uncomfortable, a red hue blooming on his cheeks.

"If you say so…" He ran a hand through his hair, a shade she thought matched the color of gold. She grabbed his hand, remembering what she was here for and pulled him to the garden door. "Where are we going?"

"Shhh, Adrien! I saw something here and it was pretty. We're going to look for it together. Come on!" She stopped at the massive golden doors and she pulled on them, hoping they would open. She looked at Adrien, who stood to the side, watching her with a confused look on his face.

"What are you waiting for?" She whisper yelled, hands on her hips. "Help me open this door!"

"Oh right." They pulled on the door together and after a few moments of hard effort, the doors opened. They lay panting before the open garden for a few seconds.

Marinette coughed. The fresh morning air from outside felt good as her little lungs filled up with oxygen quickly. She looked over to Adrien as he wiped some sweat off of his forehead. She smiled as she walked over to him and ruffled his hair. "Thanks for helping me." She stated as she saw a nervous smile form on his lips.

"No problem, Your High- _Marinette."_ She gave him a thumbs up and grabbed his hand, ushering him outside.

It was beautiful. The sun was barely up in the sky, but a few rays still managed to come through. There were flowers and plants of every kind. Marinette ran to the hydrangeas, her favorite type of flower. She grabbed a few, plucking them off of their stems delicately, and throwing them up in the air. She laughed in delight as she tried to catch them as they fell. She moved on to the roses, smelling them all one by one.

"Adrien! Look! Strawberries!" She ran over to the sweet red fruit and plucked one off, stuffing it into Adrien's mouth. "How does it taste?" She grabbed one for herself and felt the sweet pink juice flood her mouth as she moaned in delight.

"Iss really good," Adrien exclaimed as he relished the coolness of the strawberry inside his mouth. He closed his eyes and savored the fruit.

He heard a scream, soon thereafter, and opened his eyes to see Marinette struggling against a few men. They wore dark clothing and their faces were completely covered except for their eyes. Marinette fought as the men tied a rag against her mouth.

"There. So you don't scream." The one holding Marinette said, snickering while he ordered the other men to carry her away. A short, stout man picked her up, but dropped her because of her efforts of fighting.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" He clucked his tongue, but bent down to drag her by her (now) dirty white nightgown. Her robe had fallen on the ground. Adrien stood, held by fear until he met Marinette's eyes. They were bright blue and watery. As she gazed at him from afar, he saw her _pleading_ with him for help. It was a look of pure defeat.

Suddenly, everything snapped into place and he knew what to do. He turned around. The entrance to the palace wasn't that far. He started to run to the palace entrance when he felt a pair of hands grab his shirt. He felt himself being turned around until he met one of the men's ugly gaze. The man let go of Adrien, letting him hit the floor roughly with a jolt.

His head swam uncomfortably as he struggled to stand. The man pulled out a knife, laughed, and threw it on Adrien's hand, which left a large horizontal gash where the knife hit. The man ran to his group as they continued to drag Marinette away with them.

Adrien shook his hand, searing hot pain blinding his vision. He was alarmed at the sight of so much blood but forced himself to get back in the palace for Marinette's sake.

Some of the guards were waking up, and Adrien tried to speak loudly. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He felt lightheaded and dizzy, and so, _so tired_ …

"Please…Marinette...gar...garden...needs help…." It was all he managed to say until he hit the floor and darkness filled his vision.

* * *

 **Hi everyone!**

 **I really shouldn't be writing/starting another story, but I had to get this idea out of my head. It was annoying me for weeks, and I even dreamed about it once (don't judge), so I just had to do it. Hopefully, you guys like it.**

 **Please tell me if you liked this (or not) or if you have any constructive criticism in the reviews. It helps me become a better writer so I can always put out my best work. Feedback is very much appreciated :).**


	2. Chapter 2

When Adrien finally awoke again, he realized that he was in a place where he never remembered being in ever before. As his eyes took time to focus in on his surroundings, he noticed that the walls were white and sterile. There was a strong disinfectant chemical tang in the air which made his eyes water.

Suddenly, what had happened earlier rushed back to him. The sequence of events that had taken place prior came back in jumbled, unorganized memories. He tried to collect his thoughts and chronologically attempted to piece them together.

First, he recalled that he snuck out of his room that morning to get some fresh air when he stumbled into Marinette. Or did she stumble into him? He couldn't remember. Then, she dragged him outside into the garden. And then….he remembered eating strawberries with her. He remembered the sweet tart of the strawberry juice in his mouth.

He tried to remember what had happened next. How had he gotten here? He remembered yelling something to the guards. But why was he yelling at the guards? What had happened?

Adrien tried to sit up, but immediately fell back down on the bed. He felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm and winced. He looked to see a bandage tied around his hand. Finally, he recalled that Marinette had gotten captured. He remembered the man who threw his knife at him, at his hand, causing this injury.

But then again, was Marinette okay? Adrien winced once more and not because of the throbbing pain in his hand, but because of the start of a headache forming.

The doorknob rattled and Adrien strained to see the person behind the door. A woman with a striking red streak in her dark hair walked in. She was wearing a white coat.

Adrien couldn't help but hate the color white at the moment. It was everywhere, from the walls, to his own clothes. The woman's voice broke his thoughts as she stated, "Hello Adrien. I am Dr. Sancoeur. How are you doing?" She sat next to his bed on a stool over a desk. Adrien noticed that her blue eyes held no form of emotion as he tried to stare at her discreetly when she wrote something on a piece of paper.

Her monotone eyes flicked in his direction and Adrien felt his cheeks burn. He'd been caught staring and immediately felt like a deer caught in headlights. "I-I feel fine, thank you. But how is Marinette doing?" He croaked out. His voice didn't sound anything like how it usually sounded. His throat felt raw, like he'd been screaming for hours.

"Hmm…She's doing well enough." This caused him to breathe a sigh of relief. "I have to ask you a few questions. First of all, what is your name and how old are you?"

"A-Adrien? Adrien Agreste. I'm...eleven years old."

"Since you have been unconscious for the past twelve hours, do you remember what happened earlier this morning?" Ah. So it hadn't been very long since he had passed out. He'd heard stories about people falling asleep for years after they got an injury and boy, was he was relieved that that situation didn't happen to him. His racing heart started to slow down as he took deeper breaths.

His throat burned as he spoke, "I-I guess I bumped into the princess? She wanted to show me something outside in the garden. We ate some strawberries…and then I heard her screaming. I rented back to the palace and this man dropped his knife on my hand. It hurt a lot but I still think I managed to tell the guards. I…I actually don't really remember anything after that." He was surprised to see a faint smile on Dr. Sancoeur's lips as she wrote down everything he said.

"That's good to hear." She stated as she finished writing down the rest.

The doorknob twisted again as someone else attempted to come inside of the room. He was surprised to see his father come in with a wild, frantic look on his usually stoic expression. His dull gray eyes landed on Adrien before he rushed to his side.

Adrien looked at his father hopefully, expecting his father to express some concern for his well being for once. Something like _"are you alright, Adrien?"_ Or _"how are you feeling, my son?"_

His father glanced at Dr. Sancoeur, but once again looked back at him. "Please, Doctor, I need to have a word with my son." She nodded once and wordlessly got out of her seat and headed for the door. With one last glance at them, she left. Once she was out of earshot, his father exploded.

"Adrien! What were you doing outside so early in the morning?!" He scolded as Adrien internally sighed. He didn't want to get his hopes up for when his father would act like he _actually_ cared about him, but once again, he was disappointed in himself for being so hopeful. In all of his eleven years of living, he couldn't remember a time when his father showed any emotion for him. Why did he expect so much from his father in the first place? What made him think that this time would be any different?

"I'm fine, Father," He looked away and found his injured hand much more interesting than facing his father. _Anything_ was at the moment. "Nothing happened to me." He looked back at his father from the corner of his eye and noticed that he was fuming. There was practically steam coming out of his nose and the tips of his ears were tinged with red. In second thought, maybe it was a bad idea to provoke him.

His father loomed over him, his tall stature intimidating. Adrien tried to brace himself for his father's next words. " _Nothing_ happened to you?! Injuring your hand does not count as nothing, Adrien. I expected much more from you, my son. You know that you are not allowed to go outside without a personal escort."

" _Why_ _not_ , Father?! I just wanted some fresh air. And.. _.if_ I had supposedly listened to your rules, Marinette could've been kidnapped, or worse, dead by now. I saved her life. I'm glad she's fine." Adrien paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Shouldn't you be _proud_ of me?" He tried to argue, but he knew it was no use.

His father's face turned stricken as his eyes widened. "You're...you are too young and naive to understand." His father's eyes hardened and his expression turned into steel. "I have already decided. You are never to leave the palace ever again."

Adrien gasped loudly. "W-What? Father, _please_. I'm- I'm sorry. Don't...don't do-" Adrien pleaded and tried to protest even though he was well aware that arguing with his father again was like talking to a stone.

"This is for your own good. My decision is final." Adrien looked at his father with tears in his emerald eyes. His father looked away, but not before Adrien saw the look of pain in his eyes.

"That's also what your mother used to do. Seeing the tears in her eyes made me give in to whatever she wanted. It made me weak. _Love_ made me weak." His father shook his head. "But not this time." He left without even looking back at Adrien. The door closed with a harsh thud.

Adrien lay there for a few minutes, thinking about what had happened. His headache was now in full force and it pounded painfully against his skull. But then for the umpteenth time that day, the doorknob turned again. He sighed, not wanting anymore heartache but was very surprised to see Queen Sabine come through the door, followed by Marinette. A grin formed across his face as he smiled for the first time after the incident that morning. Seeing her gave him physical proof that she was alright.

Upon seeing him, Marinette smiled sweetly as she and her mother approached him. The queen sat down on the foot of the bed and leaned over to pet Adrien's hair. She ran her fingers over his head with such love and care that Adrien couldn't remember the last time someone did the same to him.

"How are you doing, Adrien?" She spoke softly, and Adrien was reminded of his mother. She'd died giving birth to him, but he imagined that if she were still alive, she would've run her fingers through his hair the same way.

The queen and his mother had been very good friends. He could recall the times when she would tell the story of how she met King Tom, who was just a prince at that time. She told the story every Christmas Eve. Marinette, Alya, Adrien, and Nino, would sit in front of the crackling fire with Her Majesty. Her eyes would light up like a child's on Christmas Day when she told them the story.

* * *

" _Emilie and I were in the town's square buying some loaves of bread. We paid the baker and we left." She began, as she recalled what happened that day._

" _On our way home, we met some very bad men. They were threatening us to give them our money. But we had none to give. We were cornered and there was nowhere to go."_

 _Marinette gasped as she scooted closer to Alya, hugging her close. "What happened after that, Maman? Who saved you?"_

 _Queen Sabine just smiled at her daughter. "Your father was a prince at the time. He was to choose a wife by the end of the week before he became king," She shook her head. "He was on a horse that day, seeing the kingdom he was going to rule someday. He saw us, and immediately rushed over to help," She looked up with a smile on her face. "I'll never forget what he told us next. He said, 'protect yourselves!' Emilie and I looked at each other and each grabbed one of the two loaves of bread and helped fight off all of the other men."_

" _Tom came over to me and when we first truly looked into each other's eyes, it was like we both saw the sun for the first time in our lives. Everything had never been so clear. He proposed to me right then and there and the rest is history." She finished, reminiscing the memory. She gave a small bow of her head and flourish of her arms as everyone laughed. Her crown glinted as the diamonds and jewels reflected off of the firelight._

" _That's such a beautiful story, Your Majesty. It sounded like something straight out of a fairytale." Alya stated politely._

 _Adrien couldn't help but agree_.

* * *

Adrien looked at Marinette's mother and remembered that she might have been waiting for an answer. "Oh. I, well...I'm doing fine, Your Majesty." He replied. Her hands on his scalp felt really good. His headache was finally dulling. He resisted the urge to sigh.

Marinette giggled. Adrien glanced at her with a smile. She had a large bruise in her forehead and some dirt still caked on her cheek, but she was _alive_ and that was what counted. "How are you?" He asked. She was all that mattered to him.

She smiled, holding out her arms. "I'm fine. See? All in one piece." Her expression turned serious. "The guards saved me just in time. I was really worried about you though. You were asleep all day...and I-I was really scared." Her voice cracked as she stifled a sob and Adrien really wanted to go and hug her but he couldn't because of his injuries. So he just watched. "How's your hand?"

"It's fine, I guess. The doctor said it would stop hurting after a while but there would still be a scar." He responded when Queen Sabine suddenly stood up.

"I'll leave you guys to talk." She smiled and patted his arm affectionately before leaving.

"Why do you look so sad?" Marinette blurted out as soon as her mother walked out.

"What? I'm not sad." He tried to avoid her questioning but he knew it wouldn't be easy to get out of this one.

"I know you're lying to me. You never look like that unless...you _are_ sad, right?" She cocked her head to the side, blue eyes glinting in the bright white of the room.

"Okay, okay. You got me. It's just...my dad told me I could never go outside again." He admitted with a frown.

Marinette gasped quite loudly, forcing him to look at her. "What? Really?"

"Yes."

"He can't do that," She put her hands on her hips and he resisted the urge to laugh. "I'll talk to my father. He's the _king_. He can order your father to let you go outside." She gasped comically, eyes lighting up. "We'll even go together when you feel better! It'll work for sure. Trust me."

* * *

"No, Marinette."

It had been about a week since the incident. They were standing in front of the king. Marinette held Adrien's hand tightly, like she was afraid of letting go of him. Adrien knew that he was going to be rejected once again and he had prepared himself for it, but it still hurt. He rubbed his uninjured arm uncomfortable. He tugged on her, motioning her to go out the door with him.

King Tom was a very generous and gracious man Adrien knew, but he also knew that it would be a mistake to anger him. He didn't want a repeat of the conversation he had with his father that past week. He glanced at Marinette as she turned furious. Her cheeks were tinged with red and the bruise on her forehead had darkened, turning into an ugly shade of purple that was very apparent on her porcelain face.

"What? Papa! I thought you were supposed to listen to me!" She retorted and crossed her arms across her arms against her chest. She couldn't let Adrien down.

"Calm down, sweetheart. I gave this a lot of thought. Your mother and I talked about it. Heck, I even talked to my advisors about it. Gabriel was right. I cannot let you both leave the palace again. I care too much to let you do that. Please try to understand." The king pleaded, looking at both Marinette and Adrien in the eyes. He kneeled down to their level. "You are both forbidden to leave the palace from now on."

* * *

 **I know, I know. I'm so cruel.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. You can expect updates every two weeks, more or less. I just started junior year of high school (pray for me lol), so taking out time will be tough. However, I will do my best to update sooner rather than later. My family is actually in the process of moving these next few weeks, but I will still try my very hardest to update when the time comes. So, stay tuned!**

 **I also wanted to thank everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed. I never expected so many people to like it and show the amount of support that I got. It made my entire year, no kidding! So thank you so,** _ **so**_ **much, from the bottom of my heart. People often underestimate how much joy some support can bring a single person. It would make me so happy if you all continued to show me you liked my story.**

 **Again, thank you, thank you, thank you :)!**


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed and everyone grew up. Marinette had tried absolutely everything in hopes that she could convince her father to lift his rule, but he always refused. He would say the same thing over and over again when she begged him to go outside.'You know the rules Marinette. I'm only trying to protect you' were the exact words he used. He would then go back to whatever he was doing before and act like she didn't even exist. She would pull her hair in frustration and grit her teeth before leaving the room, but then her mother would scold her for not having the proper manners that a princess should.

She felt like she was trapped in a pretty cage. The palace was enormous and filled with splendor, but a cage was still a cage, no matter how beautiful and intricately designed it was.

She was close to approaching her seventeenth birthday now. It had been almost seven years since she had not set a foot outside of the palace. She was sure she was starting to forget the soft, plush texture of the lush green grass or the feeling of standing in a middle of an empty field, staring up at the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds that spanned on for forever and ever...

She threw herself on the bed quite dramatically in a very un-princess-like manner and clutched a cat plushie close to her chest. Her screams were muffled as she let out all of her frustration on the bed sheets. "Ugh! This. Is. So. Unfair!" Marinette felt Alya's weight on the bed as she shifted to rub Marinette's back.

"Chill, Marinette. I'm sure your father means best." Alya's hands were soothing and comforting, but it was hard for Marinette to be consoled. "Sometimes I feel like the walls are closing on in me. I feel so trapped."

Alya sighed and Marinette suddenly felt awful. Alya was the one who would come in sometimes in the middle if the night or in the crack of dawn when Marinette would suddenly start crying.

She was thankful she had Alya as a friend. She didn't know how she would have survived this long if it weren't for her. Sniffling, Marinette got up and gave Alya a large hug.

"What was that for?" Alya grinned as she returned the embrace. To be honest, she was surprised because it usually took Marinette a while before she could get over her fits. The princess was one drama queen, she'd always like to say.

"I just thought about how you have to deal with all of my tantrums. I'm sorry. I'm almost seventeen. Not a four-year-old. You shouldn't have to always be there for me. It isn't fair to you."

Taken aback, Alya pulled herself away from the hug as Marinette frantically wiped her blotchy red cheeks. "Girl, I like to be here for you. We're best friends. If you can't tell me, then who else would be there?" She looked at Marinette, holding her arms out, "Come here." They stayed in each other's embrace for a while.

"It's not fair," Marinette mumbled.

"It really isn't," Alya agreed, nodding along.

"I just don't know what to do. It's not fair to Adrien, either. I just wish we could have just one day outside," she shrugged. "Maybe it could be just him and me. But I can't live my life knowing that I'll never be able to go outside." Alya nodded.

"Why don't you try talking to your father again?" Alya tried to suggest before Marinette shook her head furiously.

"Definitely not. The past 500 times I've asked him, the answer was the same. I don't think my heart can handle another rejection."

Alya shook Marinette by the shoulders, while looking her in the eyes. Marinette saw that there was no amusement in Alya's eyes. She really was serious about this. "Mari, you can't give up. Maybe he'll finally crack this time."

"Maybe...But what if-"

"You don't know unless you try." Marinette shrugged, the look of uncertainty apparent on her features. Alya thought for a while. "Okay, how about we try this last time, but if it doesn't work, we'll never speak of it again?"

"Why are you so insistent on helping me Alya?"

"I know how much this means to you. Now go," Alya grinned and shoved Marinette towards the door, "and let's hope that _this_ time, he'll agree."

"Papa, I- _we_ wanted to speak with you." Marinette hoped she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"Yes?" He looked up from his desk and waited patiently for her to say something.

She opened her mouth but closed it again. Why was it so hard to say what she wanted to say? Finally, the words spilled out of her mouth. "Papa, please. You have to let me go outside. I feel as if...as if I'm going crazy staying indoors all day." She begged, hoping that her father would see how much this really meant to her.

Her father frowned. "You can look out your window, Marinette. It's not that much of a difference."

"But-"

King Tom pinched the bridge if his nose in exasperation. " _Marinette."_

"If you could just listen-"

Her father slammed a hand on the table. Marinette retracted, surprised. Her father never had a temper and seeing him like this made her feel afraid. He raised his voice (which he never did) and the booming sound echoed throughout the walls. "Don't you see I'm trying to protect you? I do _not_ want a repeat of that day. I care about you and you're trying to resist. As your father and the king, I repeat, you will _not_ be going outside without further notice. No amount of arguing will change that. Is that _clear_?"

Marinette opened her mouth to say something, only for her to close it back again. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears and she blinked multiple times in an attempt to push them away. She felt Alya's hand on her shoulder, but she swatted it away. Marinette sighed, her voice breaking, "Um, w-well, I...I guess I'll just b-be in my room, then." She ran out the door, as her heart shattered completely.

Why was it so hard for her to accept the fact that she was never going to be able to go outside? She knew that her father was going to reject her again so why did she even to try? What made her think that this time would be any different? She ran to her room and fell on her bed, sobs racking her entire body.

She felt a pressure on her back that was supposed to be comforting, but at this moment, it only angered her further. She sat up, waving her finger at Alya "Y-you knew! Didn't you? Why...why would you get my hopes up?"

Alya's expression was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mari. I thought...I thought that this time would be different. I thought that he would finally listen."

"What made you think that this time would be any different?" Alya shrugged, but Marinette was furious. "No one really cares. You know what? I want you to leave." Marinette cried, her eyes filling with tears once more, "Go. Please. I...I don't want to see you."

Without another word, Alya left, closing the door behind her softly. Marinette lay on her bed, watching the sun darken into twilight.

She walked up to the large balcony and opened the doors leading up to it. She watched the sun finally disappear into the horizon. She sighed absentmindedly as she stroked the balcony ledge back and forth. The garden still overlooked her bedroom so she could see the flowers and all the produce that the palace grew.

Oh, she would do anything to go outside and feel the whisper of the air. To feel the cool breeze of the fresh summer season. To feel the tickle of the lush grass underneath her toes. To smell the lovely floral fragrance out in the open…

With one last longing look outside, she walked back inside, closing the glass door behind her.

Suddenly, not even two seconds after she had turned her back, a knock came from behind the window and Marinette stumbled back with fear, falling on her back. She groaned at the pain, but angrily stood up.

Was this some kind of prank? Who would dare do this to her?

She walked the two steps leading up to her massive window and despite the pain, she opened the glass door once again, leaning forward to catch a glimpse at the person who knocked. The dark of night had seeped across the sky and she strained to see whoever was outside.

However, she was surprised to see that no one was there. Curious, she walked a few steps further, looking around. The wind was peaceful and calming as it blew through her midnight hair.

Suddenly, a dark figure jumped at in front of her. Shocked, she stumbled back again and fell down from the shock. "Who...W-who are you?" She managed to say as her breath was stolen from her body.

The figure raised his head and she was met by a pair of softly glowing emerald green eyes that were surrounded by a black mask. They definitely stood out in the darkness and she had certainly never seen anyone who had a pair of eyes quite like those. His blond hair was untamed and fell into his eyes. He was wearing a black leather suit. She couldn't help but stare at his chiseled body as the moonlight fell against every muscled curve, highlighting them further.

They held eye contact for a few seconds, but then his eyes widened suddenly and he flew into the room, not even bothering to ask her if she needed any assistance getting up. Appalled, she opened her mouth to reprimand him until she heard someone call out her name. "Your Highness! Are you there? We are in need of your assistance."

Marinette got up, groaning. She shot a dirty at the mysterious man before making her way to the window. He was crouched under her desk and she noticed that his movements had knocked the fabric that she was currently working on to the floor. She couldn't help but glare at him as she made her way to the balcony ledge.

How did he have the nerve to just come into her room? He couldn't possibly think that she wouldn't tell her father about him. Oh, but what he didn't know was that she would. Her father would come to know about this.

The first thing she noticed when she looked down was that two guards were standing there. She managed a small smile. "Hello, gentlemen. How may I help you?" She had a feeling it had something to do with the masked man that was currently in her bedroom.

"We were just wondering if you had seen Chat Noir?"

"Chat Noir? Who's that?" She hoped he wasn't some kind of criminal or a thief.

"He was caught in the palace grounds today. He's tall, has blond hair, wears a mask...you know."

"Yeah, I do know." She looked behind her to see Chat Noir's eyes pleading desperately with her. Suddenly, all the thoughts left her brain and she struggled to remember what was going on.

"Your Highness, have you seen him?" The guards' deep voices broke her out of her stupor. She took a deep breath.

"Oh...yeah. Um, I think he...he went that way." She heard her voice speak from miles away. It sounded fuzzy as the words came out of her mouth. When she realized what she had just said, she mentally slammed her palm against her forehead.

That was _not_ what she had initially wanted to say.

She pointed somewhere to the right, away from her. Again, her body did not seem to be in her control as she gave false directions to the guards. The guards gave her a quick salut as they ran off into the darkness. She turned around as Chat Noir cautiously rose up from his crouched position.

He smirked, his eyes glowing playfully. He walked over to her, took her hand, and kissed the top of it delicately. Shocked, she yanked her hand away from him. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm only returning the favor...Princess." He stated with a lazy grin.

"You made me trip and fall, you came into my bedroom uninvited, you made me save your sorry butt, and now you think you have the audacity to do whatever you want? I don't even know why I helped you. You could be some kind of criminal, a thief-"

"Okay, for the record, I'm not any of-"

She crossed her arms. "I don't care. What are you still doing here? Get out of my room! Now." She pointed to the window and motioned him to go outside. Hastily, she couldn't help but threaten him a little, just to see how he would react. "I'm sure that you're aware that my father, the _king_ , might I add, is going to be hearing about, let's just say...how you broke into my room?"

He froze, just for a split second, until his easy grin fell back full force. "Whew! He swiped a hand dramatically against his forehead. "For a second there, I thought you would actually be serious."

She clenched her fists. "I _am_ serious. I'm the Princess and my father _will_ be hearing about this."

He shrugged with nonchalance. "He won't... because I know you're too much of, shall I dare say...a scaredy cat."

She sputtered, and her face turned hot. What made him so sure that she wasn't going to tell her father? "Chat Noir, I _will_ tell my father. You just watch."

He looked her straight in the eye, "Yeah, yeah. And I'll believe you the day pigs fly."

" _Get. Out. Now."_

He pouted, a ghost if a smirk still on his face, which only aggravated her further. "Aww. You want to send someoneas _cat_ tastic as _me_ away?"

She glared at him with even more intensity than before. "That's it." She dragged him to the door, pointing outside. "Get out, or I'll throw you out myself."

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving." He walked further but turned around before making his leave. "Just so you know, I was on the palace grounds because there was a maid who was in trouble. A guy stole her money and I helped her out. So it wasn't like I was trespassing."

"Yeah, sure, sure. I'll believe you the day pigs fly." She mocked him as she slammed the door in his face and locked it, not regretting her actions in the least. She ran to her bed, laying there, thinking about what had just happened.

She had just _protected_ someone who could have been in trouble with the law. She went against her own _father._ And she had _never_ betrayed him, even when it was for her wish to go outside. Why had she rescued him?

It was just a spur of the moment kind of thing, she decided. She wasn't thinking straight. If she had been in her right mind,she would _definitely_ have told the truth.

Yeah. That sounded about right.

She didn't like him. With his outgoing and flirtatious personality, she knew that he was up to some trouble. And he came into her _room,_ for Pete's sake. _Uninvited_. That was a definite no. She was a princess, and his flirting was sure to get him hanged if her father ever heard about it.

Hmm…

She _could_ tell her father. But she then shook her head.

No. He would then limit her more than he already had. If he ever heard about how easily someone (more specifically, a _boy)_ had come into her room, he would never even let her out if his sight.

However, there was something about him that drew her in, as much as she hated to admit it.

But yes. She hated him and never wanted to see him again. She decided to leave the topic and went to go apologize to Alya.

* * *

"Tom, can I talk to you?" Sabine came into her husband's office where he was still busy working. It was already 1:00 AM. He had his glasses in and was furiously writing on paper. Frustrated, he crumpled the paper in one swift movement and threw it to the side, sighing deeply.

"I just don't know what to do, Sabine. Tell me what I should do." He pinched the bridge of his nose as Sabine came over and rubbed his shoulders.

"You always end up doing what is right, Tom. Believe in yourself," She paused, "I actually came here to talk to you about something else."

Tom nodded eagerly. "I'd do anything to get away from this for a few moments."

Sabine hesitated. "I want you to lift the banishment that you have placed on Marinette."

Tom looked at Sabine. "Why should I do that?"

"She's grown, Tom. It isn't going to help her when she's queen. She needs to be outside, going to the town provinces, meeting her future subjects...you can't keep her inside all day, Tom. Try to understand what I'm trying to say."

"But everything I've done is for her own protection. I don't want to lose her. Is that so wrong?"

"She's miserable being stuck inside all day. Marinette is seventeen, and not a child anymore."

Tom sighed, "I know you're right, Sabine. It's just...I-I'm not completely comfortable with her being on her own."

Sabine thought for a few seconds. "What if…she wasn't on her own? What if there was some sort of...protector that went with her?"

"You mean like a bodyguard?"

"Yes! Exactly." Sabine nodded as she saw her husband considering the fact.

"But who is worthy for the job? All of the palace guards are needed here." Tom shook his head. "And you know Marinette. She's too independent and stubborn. She won't like the idea of a bodyguard."

"We can send out a proclamation to the kingdom, telling everyone who is interested in the role of becoming Marinette's bodyguard to come to the palace. Of course, we'll do a background check before we let them in the palace. Marinette can maybe meet them and decide if they're someone who she would like being her bodyguard. That way, she won't feel as if she's forced to be with someone to go outside."

Tom nodded, "That _is_ a great idea. But, I'm still not sure I want to do this."

"Tom, she needs to be out there, seeing the kingdom she will rule one day. You can't hold her in forever. Trust me. Everything will work out in the end, I'm sure of it."

Tom stood up and opened his arms wide as Sabine came to embrace him. He wrapped his arms around her small figure and pressed his chin against her head. "I know you're right, Sabine, as you always are. I just hope that this is for the best like you say it is."

* * *

 **Thank you for all the support, guys. I really appreciate it so so much. It really means the world to me.**

 **Thank you all for being such amazing human beings. I truly mean it :).**


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette lay on her bed, reading her favorite novel. She had read it over at least fifty times in the past. It was given to her by her grandmother as a birthday present for her thirteenth birthday.

Lost in the words, her mind began to wander as she imagined herself in the story itself, every word flowing around her gracefully. Reading was one of her favorite ways to pass the time. It got quite boring in the palace being inside all day, so she spent a lot of her time reading.

 _Well_...when she wasn't learning how to rule the kingdom.

The words fell to the floor around her as a knock sounded at the door. She put her book down gently, but not before folding the corner of the page to keep track of where she was. "Come in!" She yelled and the door swung open. She'd expected a maid or a servant, but she was met by none other than Adrien.

Over the years, he had grown in a very attractive way. His frame was leaner and stronger, and he now towered over her. His hair was still the same shade of gold, but he had let it grow a little longer after they had grown up. His smile held the same softness and care and his green eyes were filled with the same warmth they had since they were children.

She often heard the other servant girls in the palace talk about how he was so good looking and attractive. It made her feel possessive of him in a way because she was afraid that she would lose him. No one knew him as she did and she never wanted to change that.

Not only that, but he was the only one who understood her desire to go outside. He was just as stuck inside as she was, but watching him stay calm humbled her. She wished that she would be like him one day, so serene and peaceful even if nothing was going right.

She got up from her bed and ran to him, jumping into his arms as she held him close to her. It was improper for her to behave this way for many reasons such as her age and also the fact that she was the _princess_ but he was one of her best friends so everyone understood.

"Adrien! I missed you so much!" She giggled as she pulled away and ruffled his neatly combed hair.

He laughed along with her. "I missed you too, Marinette."

She frowned. "You were gone for too long."

"Too long?" There was a playful amusement in his emerald eyes. "It was only a few hours. I was with Nino and he was telling me about his new guard assignment. Did you really miss me that much?"

She laughed and gave him a playful nudge of the shoulder as she ushered him into the room. He glanced at the book on her bed and gave her a knowing look, "You've been reading again?"

She nodded. "There isn't much else to do around here if I can't go outside. You know how it is. Reading is one of the only ways I can really imagine myself being out there. Papa still refuses to let me go outside. I just don't know what else to do," she looked up at him, "you know how it is. It's hard being stuck all day."

"Yeah, it's the same with my father. He's too worried that something will happen to me. It's hard for me to even go somewhere where he isn't watching over me." Adrien shrugged. "Oh wait, your father asked me to bring you to the sitting area. He says he wants to tell you something."

Marinette looked away. "I don't know. He was angry with me yesterday and I don't know if I want to see him just yet."

"He said it was important. Maybe just see what he wants?" Adrien held out his hand, which Marinette reluctantly grabbed.

"Okay," She agreed as Adrien led her through the palace.

"What could be so important, Adrien?" She whispered. There were so many guards lined up throughout the halls. Adrien shrugged before opening the door to the sitting room.

The room was airy and cool as she walked inside. Her mother and father were standing together. Adrien promptly closed the door behind him with a silent click.

"Marinette. You're finally here. Come, sit down. Your mother and I have some news we would like to share with you." Her father grinned at her, the corner of his eyes crinkling.

Marinette couldn't help but stare at her father. What kind of good news? She'd only been rejected the past seventeen years. The only good news that would actually stay true to its title would be the ability for her to go outside. However, she knew that whatever good news her parents would be sharing with her today wouldn't make her as happy as they thought it would.

Adrien cleared his throat. "Your Majesty? Would you like me to leave?"

"Hmm...It's quite alright if you want to stay, Adrien. You don't need to go if you would like to stay. In fact, you are going to be the first one to know about my proposal if you decide to say, so you might want to be around."

Marinette looked at her father anxiously, "What is it, Papa?"

The queen spoke this time. "Marinette, you know that you have been getting older and that your responsibility in the upcoming years will be to rule the kingdom. As a queen, you should be able to know your kingdom and the people who reside in it," she paused, her face breaking into a knowing smile, "because of this, your father and I have decided that you will finally be allowed to go outside of the palace and that the ban that had been placed on you is finally lifted." Marinette's eyes widened as her mind began to slowly comprehend her mother's words.

"So, it's true? You...you mean, I can finally go outside?" She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if this was actually happening. They were finally going to let her go outside now?

She couldn't believe it. It was finally happening.

She didn't know whether she should be crying tears of joy or squealing in pure happiness. She just stayed silent from speechlessness, but she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. She couldn't wait to tell Alya that it had finally had worked. All those years of pleading had not gone in vain.

She felt a firm hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Adrien there. He looked happy for her as well."Congratulations, Marinette! I'm so happy for you." Even though he was smiling at her, she couldn't help but notice that his expression was slightly down. However he hid it very well and it was hard to notice. If Marinette hadn't known him for as long as she had, she may have missed it completely. She couldn't help but feel guilty in a way.

Her father stepped forward, "I apologize, Adrien. I cannot speak for your father or convince him to let you go outside, as that is none of my business. However, if it makes you feel better, I will try to make him see that you have been very obedient. It might make him change his mind, no?" He winked at Adrien, who suddenly looked immensely grateful.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. You have been very kind to my family. I don't know how I can repay you."

The king put a hand in Adrien's shoulder. "I make no promises that he will listen. In the meantime, be the good example that you have been for Marinette." Adrien nodded as Marinette looked at her father.

"Papa, thank you so much. Is that all? May I be excused?" She asked, failing to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

She couldn't wait to start right away. All those years of yearning to go outside would finally be fulfilled. Her toes itched to move, to turn away, to touch the soft grass, and she was just about to until her father spoke. "We weren't finished, Marinette. There is still one condition you have to accept if you would like to go outside."

A condition? She nodded. _Anything_ was worth doing if she finally had the opportunity. "Yes. Anything. I will do it."

Her mother frowned, "Marinette, your father and I had a long discussion about whether we should permit you to finally explore the grounds outside of the palace. It was not a decision we made in haste. In the end, we decided that the only way we could ensure that you would be safe and still be out there was if...if you had a bodyguard."

Marinette's head swam. That wasn't what she was expecting. "A...a bodyguard?" Her voice cracked. Had her parents chosen someone already? Would she still be limited as she had before? "Why?"

"As I said, honey, we need to make sure you were truly safe when you did go out. It's the only way we can be sure to protect you." Her mother's expression twisted into one of concern as she tried to reassure her.

Her father came forward and kneeled in front of her, looking into her eyes. His green eyes held nothing but genuine concern as he held her gaze, speaking every word with the truth. "Marinette, I...I understand that I may have come off as selfish in the past. And I can try to imagine how you might've felt every time I rejected your wishes. I really am truly sorry." He looked down and sighed, but looked back up at her again. "But try to understand me too. I cannot let what happened all those years ago repeat. Finding out that you could've been...hurt, kidnapped, or even k-killed, I vowed that I would never let you get back in that situation ever again. That day still comes up in my nightmares to this day, and it's even worse that it actually happened. I was afraid of what could've potentially happened to you, and every day I mentally thank Adrien for saving your life," her father looked over her shoulder, and smiled at Adrien, "So now, I'm _pleading_ with you to consider what I'm trying to say as well."

She had never before tried to understand her father's intentions toward her on the topic of stepping foot outside the could understand where her father was coming from. He just felt like he needed to protect her so that incident would never happen again. She totally understood now.

But now she was older and more mature than she was all those years ago. Surely she wouldn't be as helpless as she was when she was younger. If anything, that experience had taught her to be more aware of her surroundings.

"I understand where you're coming from, Papa, I really do, but I'm much older and mature now. Don't you think I can handle myself out there?"

Her father sighed, a sound that Marinette was guilty of hearing. "Marinette, there's no way you can prepare yourself for that experience. You need someone who is trained enough to know what to do when the time comes."

She couldn't help it, she just had to ask, "So there's really not even a single chance you'd let me go if I didn't have a bodyguard? Not even the tiniest bit?"

Her father shook his head. She thought for a few moments. She supposed a bodyguard wouldn't be _so_ bad. If it was really the only possible way to get what she wanted, then she would accept her parents' terms.

"Okay," she agreed. She was surprised to see the shock on her parents' faces. "I can live with your conditions."

Her mother's face beamed radiantly as she clasped her hands together. "Wonderful!"

Marinette swung her hands together. "So, have you chosen someone already? Will I get to meet this said bodyguard soon? How does that even work?"

Her father spoke next. "Well, we figured that you would probably not to have a bodyguard in the first place, but then decided that the next best thing would be if you got to choose who it was. In fact, last night, we sent out a letter to all the households of the kingdom. We know there are people who have been former guards or protectors of some sort before, so we figured there would be someone you would like, but still be capable at the same time. Of course, we would still do background checks on them before they came into the palace."

"So, I get to choose? How will we know if they're capable enough?"

"We'll be testing them on their strength, experience, and agility before they come to have a personal interview with you. That way, we can rule people out if they do not pass the necessary requirements."

Marinette sighed. They'd surely talked a lot about this.

"Do you have any more questions, Marinette?" Her mother asked.

"No, I think I'll be going back into my room." She quickly hugged her father and kissed her mother on the cheek before she left the room with Adrien.

"Wow, you must be really excited, huh? All of these people fighting to protect you…and you'll _finally_ be able to go outside!" Adrien exclaimed.

She sighed, questions of all kinds brewing inside of her. "Yes, you're right. I just wish it was just me going there outside. It would be even more special that way." She paused, smacking her hand against her forehead. "I didn't even think about how you'd be feeling. I'm so inconsiderate! Here I am complaining, where you'd be ecstatic to even have a chance."

"Hey it's okay-" Adrien tried to say before Marinette interrupted him.

She threw her hand into the air, frustrated, her voice echoing off the massive hall. "You know, Adrien, sometimes I feel as if I'm not the right person to rule the kingdom one day. You would be a much better candidate. Where you're calm and compassionate, I'm impatient and selfish. I'm...I'm just not good enough." They'd finally reached her bedroom.

"Marinette, that's not tr-"

Tears filled her eyes. Why couldn't she think about someone other than herself for once? "A-Adrien, I would l-like to be alone right now, please?"

"Yes, Your Highness." He nodded, but not before laying a comforting hand on her shoulder before he walked away. The fact that he added 'your highness' to the end of his response instead of 'Marinette' meant that she'd truly done something wrong. She hated the formal acknowledgment with her name and when one of her closest friends called her by it, she knew that she truly messed up.

Why did she keep on hurting the ones she cared for most? She hurt Alya the other day, and now it was Adrien.

She went outside into her balcony and looked into the horizon. The tears streamed down her face and she let them fall freely. The sun had just set, and it was truly beautiful. In just a few weeks, she would have a chance to see, _really_ see what life outside of the palace was like. But instead of being happy, why did she feel like her world was crumbling around her?

"Was the princess upset without my presence?" Started by the sudden sound, she swiped at the tears furiously. She looked up at the voice so quickly that her neck cracked painfully.

It was Chat Noir once again. His green eyes were glowing with mischief and his hair rustled slightly in the breeze. "Ouch, that hurt!" She glared at him, hoping that he would somehow disappear.

What were the chances she was so unlucky to have the chance of seeing him once again? "I thought I told you to never come back! What are you doing here?"

He scoffed, "The better question would be, what are _you_ doing here?"

She did a double take. "This is _my_ home. I'm standing inside _my_ room. I think that I have a right to be here, Chat Noir." She crossed her arms.

He cleared his throat nervously. "No, what I mean is...why are you here upset?"

She stared at him, surprised. "Why do you care?"

"Hey, I really don't, but…" He trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

Marinette's rolled her eyes. "Ugh, now you're just annoying me." She looked at him and sighed. "You really wanna know? Fine. I feel as if I'm selfish and self-entitled. I hurt everyone's feelings."

"Yeah, you really do." He replied, which only earned him a snack on his arm. "Er, I mean, what did you do?"

"The other day, I yelled at my best friend, Alya. And just today, I got upset at Adrien, one of my other good friends. I was just jealous of the way he handles things."

Chat Noir quirked an eyebrow at her, questioningly. "I mean, he's so much smarter and selfless than I am. He would be much more fit to rule the kingdom than I ever would be." She caught him staring at her. "Yeah, I know. It's pretty stupid." She looked down at the palace gardens below.

"What you still doing here? Don't you have other people you would rather bother?"

"Marinette, I-"

"Don't call me that. Your Highness or Princess is fine. I only let people call me Marinette if I like them. But I don't like you. So you can't call me that."

"Fine, _Princess_. Honestly, I think you're being too hard on yourself. You're not giving yourself enough credit. You've been trapped inside of this palace practically your entire life and the fact that you want to go outside isn't selfish. I'm sure your friend Adrikins-"

"It's _Adrien_ …"

"...Fine, _Adrien_ , thinks the same."

"But he's been inside the palace for as long as I have too. But he's still so much better than I am. He's so calm and collected, and…"

"But he doesn't have the responsibilities of a princess like you do. He's not _you_." He replied pointedly.

He suddenly smirked, the expression making his features look roguish. "I heard from a little birdy that you were going to get a bodyguard."

She looked at him, startled. Her parents had only delivered the news the town yesterday night. She squinted at him. "How'd you find out?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's what everyone in town is talking about."

"Really?"

He smiled. "Yes, maybe some people are looking forward to it."

She looked over at the small houses of the village until they got too far and faded into the distance. There were people there who wanted to protect her. It made her feel a little bit better about the entire situation. She looked to her left, where Chat Noir was sitting on the balcony ledge next to her.

"What are you still doing here? Are you _trying_ to look for trouble?"

He got up quickly like he remembered something. "Ah, Princess. I suppose it _is_ time I took my leave. I will be seeing you _very_ soon." He flashed a lopsided grin and took her hand to press a kiss on it until she yanked it away right before he could do anything.

"I would really prefer it if you didn't," She said with a roll of her eyes.

"You love me, Princess. You just don't know it yet." He winked at her to which she sighed.

"I don't think so." She pointed to the direction outside of the palace gates and he finally left, but not before giving her a small salute.

What was she going to do with him?

* * *

 **How was it? I personally got a little stuck with this chapter and I just couldn't get it how I wanted in the end. But, I do tend to overanalyze everything, so it could just be in my head. Please tell me your thoughts about this chapter in the reviews. It would greatly be appreciated.**

 **I also wanted to thank each and every one of you for either reviewing, favoriting, and following my story. It means so much to me. I read all of your reviews and it makes my day. Please continue showing the support. I appreciate it.**

 **I wanted to clarify one thing. Marinette does not like Adrien more than a friend and vice versa. They are just really close to each from all of those years growing up in the palace together. Hopefully, that makes sense. If you have any questions, then feel free to ask them in the reviews or PM me and I will definitely get back to you as soon as I can.**

 **Thank you all for being such amazing people!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't normally put an A/N at the beginning of a chapter but this is an exception. I'm putting a TRIGGER WARNING as the end of the chapter is rated a strong T, with some depictions of violence and an (almost) rape scene. There isn't any explicit content but if you feel uncomfortable or don't want to read this chapter, that's fine. Remember, view at your own discretion**.

* * *

"Oh my God, girl, I cannot believe this is finally happening!" Alya squealed excitedly. She squeezed Marinette tightly until Marinette was sure her lungs would burst out if she squeezed any tighter. When Alya did let go of her, she was out of breath, panting hard. "You're finally going to go outside! This was your dream! And it's finally going to come true!" She squeezed Marinette once more and set her down once again. "I'm so happy for you!"

Marinette had to smile at how excited Alya was. Heck, she might even be more excited than she was.

They were in the throne room, the servants, maids, and the butlers whizzing by them every second. "Sorry, Your Highness." A servant profusely apologized after his large painting almost hit Marinette.

She waved after him as he went. "No harm was done, sir!"

A maid, Rose-Marinette fondly remembered-came rushing up to her. She curtsied and her voice came in breathless pants. "Y-your Highness, your parents wish to see you immediately." Marinette placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Is it something serious?" She asked, worried. Where they going to cancel all the preparations? Was there a threat that her parents wanted her to know about?

"I...l'm not sure. Your parents just said that they wanted to see you now." She curtsied, pulling Marinette away. Marinette waved a goodbye to Alya before going with Rose.

Once they got to her father's office, Rose opened the large golden doors, gave a hurried curtsy and walked away. Marinette's mother and father stood with grave expressions on their faces.

Cautiously, she closed the door behind her and looked at them. "Maman, Papa, is there something wrong?" She walked closer to them but kept her distance as a sign of respect.

Her father sighed deeply, his age showing through his tired eyes. Marinette noticed the dark circles that had formed under his eyes, and how his eyes drooped slightly. The normal playful, twinkle in his expression was gone, only to be replaced with frustration and anxiety. "Yes, Marinette...there is something wrong." He took the majestic golden crown off if his head and placed it on his desk. "People are starting to die," His voice was a dull murmur as he shook his head. "And I, as the _King_ , don't know how I can do anything to stop it." Her mother placed a hand on her father's shoulder as comfort.

Marinette gasped. So many questions flooded through her head, but only one came out. "People are dying? Why?" There had to be a way to stop it. Maybe the crops had a slow growth his year, and they weren't getting enough food, dying from starvation. Or maybe, they didn't have the adequate type of clothing to wear. It _did_ get really warm here in the kingdom…

Her father spoke once more. "Marinette, I know what you're thinking, but there is not a conventional reason that these people are suddenly passing away. As of now, there is an estimated count of 70 dead in the North and Northeast provinces. "

"Why didn't the people tell us sooner? We could've done something about it." Marinette clenched her fists as her queenly side took over. As the future queen, she was supposed to make sure everyone in the kingdom was safe and happy. And now, people were dying?

Her father shook his head. "I believe they tried to, only for them to also be killed in the end. We only found out this morning that several more people were found dead. Since we have discovered this as of late, we will increase security within the palace, and your future bodyguard will be expected to be right next to you at every moment should anything happen to you."

She squinted her eyes at her father, unable to believe his words. Only one thing rung in her ears, echoing through the corners of her mind. "Wait, people are being _killed_? I thought they were just dying because that's what you told me. Have you been keeping things from me?"

Her father's gaze dropped down to his desk, and that confirmed her suspicions. "Papa, you told me that only a _few_ people had _died_ from unknown causes," she tried to keep her voice from wavering, "but now you tell me that 70 people are killed? Why would you lie to me? I'm the future queen, I deserve to know what is happening outside the walls of this kingdom, even if I'm not allowed to go outside." She crossed her arms.

"Marinette, I only wanted to protect you. It wasn't my intention to hide this, but I believed it would keep you safer. You're my main priority." Her father tried to reassure her, but she would take none of it.

"From _what_ , Papa? From my own kingdom?" Her mother and father remained silent as her voice echoed throughout the walls. "You're the king, papa. Your obligation is to the entire kingdom, every man, woman, and child. You have to put their needs first, it's part of your job." She shook her head, unable to believe that she just had to educate her father on how to rule the kingdom. He usually thought of the people's needs first, and not his own desire of keeping her safe.

"I know that you've been keeping things from me, Papa. And I don't want to stay and find out what that long list is made up of." With that she moved to the door, only looking back to him when he called her name.

"Marinette, I know you're angry with me, but please-" She curtly left the room, not bothering to stay and listen to whatever excuse her father wanted to give her.

She was done being babied all the time. She was almost 17 years old, for goodness sake. When would her father realize that she was her own independent person? When would he realize that she wasn't that same scared, helpless ten-year-old girl?

She would be the queen someday, and if there was anything she had learned in the past sixteen years of her life, it was that a good ruler of a kingdom was required to care and listen to the needs of all their subjects and do whatever they could to help them. If her father still believed that she had to be guarded all the time, then he was mistaken. She had a duty to follow one day. She had to do something to help the people of her kingdom. If her father wasn't going to take the first step, then she would be the one to do it. There were people being _killed_ outside of the palace walls, and she was just being stuck inside, only to be fussed over each and every day.

She didn't know what was worse: realizing that her father didn't trust her enough or knowing that people were dying out there.

She had to find had to find a way to show her parents that she was capable enough of handling herself out there and that she wasn't going to stand back. She was going to fight and prove that she had what it took.

Sure, she was a princess but that didn't mean she was weak and airheaded like all the stereotypes said. She was strong enough to protect herself now that she was older, and she was going to prove it.

The only challenge was... _how_?

She had to do something grand, something over the top that would leave no doubt in her parents' mind that she was capable enough. She needed just the right thing.

She racked her brain for answers, and she stumbled upon it suddenly. She didn't she think of this sooner? It was so obvious, and just the perfect idea. It wasn't too extravagant, nor was it too simple. Her parents would surely believe her then.

 **::::::::::**

She had waited all day to attempt what she wanted to do. It was the perfect time because it was dark and no one would see her leave. She had put on a very dark colored plain dress and a cape that would act as a hood for when she wanted to blend in. Her shoes consisted of simple flats because she knew it wouldn't be easy to carry out her plan wearing the heels that she normally wore. It felt kind of liberating actually.

She knew when the guards wouldn't be patrolling her area of the palace because she had watched very closely, but she only had only five minutes to do it. She had to time her movements exactly so no one would even have a chance at discovering that she was gone.

Marinette packed a small bag with a canteen full of water, some apples in case she got hungry, a small woven bag full of money, and a map of the palace and the town nearby. She debated on taking the lucky pair of black earrings her mother had given to her last week and putting them on, but decided against it. It was a precious heirloom that had passed down from generation to generation from her mother's side of the family and she would hate to lose it.

She glanced at the clock, which read 12:53. It was almost time. She ran over to her bed and arranged a few pillows in a certain way and draped her plush blanket over them to look like she was actually asleep under the covers. She took a step back and looked at them with a critical eye, nodding with satisfaction. If someone _were_ to come into her room in the middle of the night (which no one _ever_ did), hopefully they would think that she was sleeping and leave.

Taking one more glance at the time, she knew it was finally time. Her heart sped up a little, and a small part of her brain considered backing down. It was the first time she was directly disobeying her father. But she firmly made up her mind. She had to do it. She knew it from the bottom of her heart that she had to prove them wrong.

She gathered her bag, pulled her hood up, and took the rope sitting on her desk. Her maids had asked about it, but she just shrugged, telling them that she needed it for one of her latest designs.

She walked to her balcony, opening the door as quietly as possible, the cool breeze causing her hood to fall back down. She pulled it back up and cautiously made her way to the balcony ledge and peered down. It was like she had planned. None of the guards were there, giving her only three minutes to get down and to run to the little hidden gate at the edge of the palace garden before anyone else came.

She didn't know if she was going to do this right because she'd never done it before. However, she took a deep breath and relied on her faith and determination to trust in herself. She tied the rope securely (she hoped) on one of the pillars that her balcony ledge stood on and let the rest fall until it barely touched the soft grass on the ground She felt the perspiration drip down her forehead as her heart began to race again.

She was actually doing this.

She climbed over the balcony as her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. If she made one wrong move, she could quite possibly suffer a major injury or maybe even death. Carefully, she held her breath and gripped the rope tightly and let her feet hold some of it. She looked down at the impending ground below and shut her eyes tightly. Taking a deep breath, she carefully slid down the rope until she felt the solid ground under her.

Looking around, she couldn't believe it. While it was quite dark, she was outside and everything was alive. She heard the birds chirping and all of the wonders of the flowers in the garden around her. Their fragrances melded together in her nose as she sighed happily. The feeling of finally being outside was liberating and exciting. She almost couldn't believe that she had never wanted to go against her father's wishes. It was absolutely beautiful and wonderful, and she completely forgot about her plan.

She froze when she heard the voices of a few guards coming her way. She knew that they couldn't see her yet, but if she didn't move soon, then she would be in big trouble.

"...Kim?" Nino's voice. If he ever found out, he would tell Alya for sure, and that girl was notorious for spilling secrets. She ducked behind some bushes, trying to make herself as small as possible, hoping her clothes would help her blend in with the surroundings. She held her breath as she heard footsteps coming closer. She dared not breathe, in case any noise or rustle gave away her position.

"Hey, Nino! Come look at this." Kim spoke, and the footsteps that were coming closer and closer to her halted and turned away until she could no longer hear them anymore. She let out a sigh of relief, thanking whatever force had helped her. Looking around, she noticed that Nino and Kim's backs were facing toward her so she took the opportunity to carefully slip away, heading to the small gate at the edge of the garden.

She pulled out the key from her pocket and opened the lock, delighted to see that it still worked even after all these years. She pulled on the latch and tried to swing it open as quietly as possible but it was no easy task because the door was squeaking. Thankfully, no one noticed and she slipped away, not forgetting to leave the door open just a crack for when she came back.

The air already felt fresher and more alive and free than it did inside the palace walls so she took a deep breath and tried to soak up as much as possible. She stretched her arms and hugged herself. She had finally done what she was forbidden to do for the past sixteen years. She'd betrayed her father's orders. She tried not to think about what would happen if anyone were to find out that she was missing and focused on continuing forward.

Looking around, she decided that she would go into the town and try to solve whatever problem the people were facing. If it was out of her control, she would at least see what the problem was and report it to her father the next morning so he would be able to do something about it. He would be furious that she left, but at least he would realize that she didn't need to be babysat all the time and that she could actually play a role in helping her future subjects.

She started to walk forward and her mind began to wander. The killings were happening in the outskirts of town. In order to see what was going on, she would need to go there. However, she would have to be incredibly careful so that she didn't end up getting killed herself.

The streets inside the town were dark and there were only a few street lamps scattered around, barely enough for her to see through the darkness. It was pretty late at night so she understood why people didn't light all the lamps. As she ventured further into town, she couldn't help but notice that the houses got worse in quality and some were borderline falling apart.

She couldn't believe it. Why wasn't her father doing anything about this? He was the king and his job was to make sure that everyone was properly accounted for. She made a mental note of telling her father that he needed to repair a lot of the houses here first thing tomorrow. Families lived in this kind of condition and she wanted to help. They didn't deserve living this way.

Her throat began to feel a little dry so she took a swig of water from the canteen she had packed earlier, but that didn't help much. She noticed that the air was getting even more congested as she went deeper and deeper into the town. The air quality was bad too.

How many people had her father neglected for her own sake?

Marinette saw the clearing up ahead, which meant that she was just nearing the edge of the town. She moved closer to the walls and tried to blend in. Ducking behind a few sparse bushes, she peered through the wooden fence. The sight she saw was one that she never wanted to see again.

She couldn't see that well in the darkness, but she did see figures of people scattered everywhere. Men, women, and even children were there, and Marinette couldn't believe her eyes. She willed her eyes to look away, but they stood frozen at the sight ahead of her.

She shivered at the slight breeze, one that was quite refreshing before, but now felt like an icy prick down her spine. Tears filled her eyes as she scanned the area. So many people...there was no way this was just some kind of coincidence.

This was someone's doing. Someone who didn't care about the lives of all these human beings. Someone who was ruthless and didn't hesitate to take lives. As far as she could see, there was no one else there that would answer her question of _who_.

She got up carefully and walked away, sighing sadly. She shook her head. Something had to be done about this, but no one was doing anything about it.

She peered down at her map and took a right. Who would be heartless enough? Was it a human being, or was it some kind of spirit of paranormal, otherworldly creature or being? She took a left and continued on her way.

This time, she paused. It didn't seem like this was the same way in which she came from. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. She looked at the map again. Everything was so dark now, she couldn't even see the map properly. Everything blended together in the darkness. Marinette rubbed her eyes and squinted at the map, hoping she would have better luck but to no avail. Finally, she gave up. She decided to continue walking a little and then if she still had trouble, she would ask the townspeople for help.

The streets were getting darker and darker as she pressed on. She once swore she saw a shadow move across the street in a flash, but convinced herself that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

Finally, she stumbled upon an area that was pitch black, and only the moon's rays shone through. She thought she heard the small crunch if footsteps as she walked, one that wasn't hers. When she looked around her frantically, no one was there. She shrugged and walked until she saw another turn.

However, it was a dead end. The alley was almost completely dark and she opened her arms to feel the walls around her. Suddenly, she tripped against what she thought was a small rock and fell to the ground. The impact stung painfully and she had no doubt that they were bleeding.

Marinette attempted to stand, her wobbly knees struggling to stay upright. Once she finally got up, she limped forward, until she realized that she wasn't alone anymore.

Three figures stood there, their menacing stances drawing a frightened gasp from her. They walked forward until Marinette saw their lustful gazes. Her voice quivered as she spoke, but she tried to sound as strong as possible. "P-please good sirs, I apologize for bothering y-you. I...I was just going to leave. S-so if you'll excuse me…" She stood and pulled her hood up, trying to ignore the pain in her knees, and tried to walk past the men, only to be pushed back. She fell on her back, the rocky ground scraping the palms of her hands. She looked up at the strangers, fear clouding her mind. She didn't know what to do, what to think…

She only could think about how she was certain that these men didn't have the best intentions.

The tall man in the center of the group smiled like the Cheshire cat, his teeth poking through his lips. "Tsk, tsk... sweetheart. You can't leave now. We were just getting started, weren't we, boys?"

The men laughed and the sounds echoed through the air. She prayed for someone to hear and come and rescue her. She tried to protest, but her throat felt extremely dry and croaky. "P-please, you don't want to do t-this." She coughed. The men approached her and she tried to get up and run, but the taller one grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. She kicked as hard as she could, but she was only constricted further.

The man in front of her took her hood off, and his eyes widened before he smiled again. "My, my, my. We've got the ultimate treasure tonight, haven't we? What's the pretty princess doing out of her cage this late at night? This one will be fun to break." His deep voice caused a tremor to shoot through her spine. She screamed, only to be muffled by his large, sweaty hand. His meaty fingers pressed deeply into her porcelain skin until a gag was tied up around her mouth.

"Check what's in the bag." He ordered as the men turned it out, letting the contents fall. They took out the bag of money and shook it in their hands.

She didn't care if they took the money. She just wanted to leave, go home, and forget that this had ever happened.

Her attacker pretended to think. "Nah, I don't think so. The princess is worth far more than a measly bag of coins." He gazed at her, his eyes completely dark and soulless. "Where should we start, boys? The top, or the bottom?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I think we should go straight to the dessert, don't you think? It _is_ the most delicious part of any meal, after all."

He licked his lips and looked at her like a lion would be looking at a giraffe.

Like he wanted to _devour_ her entirely.

He told his men to hold her down and had them pin her against the wall, and she tried to fight, but her actions seemed to have no effect on them. The leader put his fingers around her throat. He gave her a threatening look. "Remember, we have weapons," he signaled to the shortest man who swung a knife nonchalantly, "and we won't hesitate to use them if we have to. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice."

She was just so, so _tired._ Her body seemed to give up as exhaustion set in. She tried to scream, but was once again was muffled by the dirty gag around her mouth.

The leader, who was the tallest of the group, bent down and tried to bunch up her long dress, but got frustrated when it didn't cooperate. She sighed, hopeful that she might have a chance of getting out alive, but then he growled and began to tear the fabric upward instead.

No, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

Why was she so stupid enough to believe that she would actually be able to prove something to her father? She may never even be able to see him again. She didn't say goodbye to her mother, father, Alya, Nino, or Adrien. She would never again be able to talk to them, hear their voices, or enjoy their company. They would never know the true intentions she had when she first came.

She would never be able to apologize for her reckless actions.

As the thoughts set in her head, the tears came full force. She felt them slide down her cheeks and to her chin, where they dripped down. She'd never cried so much in her entire life.

Her life flashed before her eyes and she sent a silent prayer to her friends and family.

She heard shuffling noises and looked down. She closed her eyes, shutting them tightly, bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

 **::::::::::**

Chat Noir vaulted across the rooftops of the kingdom, relishing the cool night air. He still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of being free and having the freedom that he was so used to not having.

The moon hung low in the sky and the town was unusually quiet. Fewer street lamps were lit than usual, and that gave the town an eerie vibe. He ran as quietly as he could so he didn't wake the people.

Plagg had given him the ability to become Chat Noir after his father had left for a "business trip" a few weeks ago. Adrien hadn't questioned it, but he did wonder how the palace's _tailor_ had business trips to go to. Marinette's father trusted Gabriel since his mother had been best friends with his wife, and he let him go without any repercussions.

Since Adrien himself had never tried to disobey his father before, he was given permission to stay in the palace as long as he didn't go outside. His father had asked the guards to look after him, but since pretty much everyone in the palace knew that Adrien was sincere and trustworthy, they didn't even bother checking if he was in the palace or not. It gave him a chance to transform into Chat Noir and escape his life as Adrien.

The bonus was that he also was able to become a hero with his alter ego. His mother had been notorious for always being the one to lend a helping hand and aiding anyone who was in trouble. His father called it as one of her downfalls, while Adrien thought that it was one of her finest qualities. As a young boy, he always wanted to help people on a larger scale.

That chance was taken away from him when he had been forbidden to go outside.

Until now.

A muffled scream broke through the quiet night air and he immediately sped up to find the source of the noise. Someone was in trouble and he had to help them.

He rushed through, fast as lightning. Then, he almost missed it but caught a glinting in a distance. He went closer to the area, and hid there, observing the scene. His night vision gave him the ability to see what was happening clearly, but even he had to squint in order to see properly.

He saw three men hovering over a petite woman. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and were wet, presumably with tears. Her dress was ripped, and...oh no.

He leaped forward with his baton and knocked down the two men standing off to the side. They fell unconscious as soon as the impact hit them. The tallest one standing in front of the young lady growled as he turned around.

"Let. Her. Go." He spit the word out in disgust. As he looked at the man, he saw the lustful hunger in his dark eyes.

He looked at his fallen men and then at Chat Noir and laughed. "Were you too eager for your turn, kitty cat?" His deep, throaty laugh echoed throughout the alley.

"You've just made a big mistake," Chat yelled. He was absolutely livid. His vision was tinted with red at the edges as he made the first move. The man ducked and grabbed the fallen knife in the process, making his the woman hit the ground with a jolt. "Stay away from her!" His ultimate goal was to get her to safety as soon as possible.

The taller man swung his knife, deflecting any attack that came his way. At one point, he managed to nick Chat's shoulder, but the pain was dull. He could only think about rescuing the young woman from her fate.

Chat extended his baton and managed to hit it at the man's throat, knocking him against the wall and to the floor. He groaned in pain, unable to stand. Eventually, he slumped to the floor and lay still.

Chat ran to the girl's side. Thankfully, he could tell that she was still conscious so he shook her slightly. He tried to keep the urgency out of his voice, but he didn't know when the men would regain consciousness. They had to go fast so he could drop her off at her home and still be able to take care of the men. "Excuse me, miss, my name is Chat Noir. I know that you may not even be able to trust me, but I am one of the good guys. I'm here to take you home if you'll let me."

As she lifted her head slowly, he noticed that behind all the blood, dirt, and grime on her face, it was _Marinette_.

Marinette, the girl who was the princess of the kingdom.

Marinette, the person who always made her friends (including him), laugh.

Marinette, the only person who truly understood how he felt when he wasn't allowed to go outside.

Marinette, the girl who was kind and generous to everyone, no matter their age, gender, race, or social status.

Marinette, his closest _friend_

 _Marinette._

"Princess…?" Questions swarmed through his brain, but he didn't know what to do or say, so he just stood there for a few seconds. She started to cough and he suddenly snapped back to reality. He helped her stand. "Let's get you home." She nodded as he helped her on his back.

Chat was careful enough to watch out for any guards patrolling the area and in the end, he dropped her off into her room unnoticed. He wasn't going to comment on why she left, but as Adrien, as her _close_ _friend_ , he just needed to know.

Marinette stood there, her face expressionless, highlighted by the moonlight. She said nothing as she gazed silently at the floor.

"Why did you go out there?" The broken whisper cut through the silent air as she whipped her head to look at Chat.

After a long pause, she responded in a small voice. "I just wanted to show my father that I was capable of protecting myself."

He scoffed. "You think you achieved that tonight? What you did was a death sentence! Those men, they...why...were you _asking_ to be killed?" He couldn't help it. He shouldn't have yelled at her when she was in such a delicate state of mind, but he just needed to know.

The tears started flowing once again, "I never asked for this to happen, Chat Noir! I only wanted to show everyone that I...that I was finally ready to go outside! My father doesn't even trust me enough to tell me what goes on within the kingdom. He neglects his _own_ people to keep me safe!" She motioned to the balcony. Her cheeks were blotchy, tears streamed down her face like a waterfall and Chat regretted saying everything. "You're not the first one to tell me that I shouldn't do something. Maybe _you_ should try living without freedom for once and see what it's like!" She sat down on the bed, fingering her torn dress.

He'd really messed up this time."Princess, I-" He needed to apologize, to make things right, but she didn't let him finish.

"I think you should just leave. You've helped enough for one day." Her firm reply meant that she was serious, so he looked to the ground sadly, and leaped away into the rising rays of dawn.

* * *

 **Welcome back to everyone that made it in the end! This was an extra long chapter that I worked especially hard on, so** **please leave your feedback and comments in the reviews below. I would really appreciate it!**

 **Also, we currently have 50+ followers. That's crazy! I'm so happy that each and** **every one of you has decided to keep up with this fanfiction. It means a lot so thank you!**

 **This chapter was a hard one to write, but it had to be done. It's an important turning point in the story because it's when Marinette really starts to dislike Chat Noir. She only thought if him as an annoying flirt before, but now...let's just say she doesn't** **like him at all.**

 **If** **you guys have questions, feel free** **to** **leave them in the reviews because I will** **answer** **them** **the next time I update.**

shadowedartist:

How is Chat gonna convince Mari to let him be the bodyguard?

 **He** **isn't ;).**

How is Adrien gonna hide his absence from his father?

 **As stated in this chapter, Adrien's father went on a "business trip", but when he left, the killings started taking place at the same time so...I mean you can see what I'm trying to do here if you see the connection. Everyone believes that Adrien is trustworthy since he never once tried to go behind his father's back. No one in the palace really watches over him carefully, because they assume he listens to his father's orders, which gives him the ability to sneak out without having anyone be suspicious of him. I hope that makes sense.**

Why did Chat call Adrien Adrikins?

 **This question made me laugh when I read it. Chat Noir didn't want to seem too** **obvious about knowing Adrien (because he** _ **is**_ **Adrien) so he just made** **up the name on the spot. Also, he wanted to tease Marinette a little too.**

 **I hope that everything I said was clear and easy to understand :).**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette plastered a fake smile as she woke up in her bed, her maid coming to fuss over her. The previous week's incident was still fresh in her mind. It was the very source of her nightmares. The incident flashed through in her mind like a replay and she would see the men staring at her, their eyes void and full of darkness. She could see her own terrified expression when she stood there, trembling. It had been like this every night, and by now, she was afraid of even closing her eyes, just in case the image came back again. She couldn't tell anyone, even Alya, in case word got out to her father that she had disobeyed him. She had to deal with the consequences, no matter how much she regretted her actions.

Katerina, Marinette's maid, came upon her with a grin. "Oh my goodness! How exciting is this? All those men yearning to protect you," she sighed dramatically, earning a slight giggle from Marinette, "I am so happy for you, darling." Katerina was a middle-aged motherly woman with short blonde hair that fell in deep waves on top of her shoulders. Her caramel colored eyes were warm and filled with genuine care. She was on the larger side, so Marinette loved that she felt like she was hugging a teddy bear whenever they embraced. Katerina was a second mother to Marinette, one that she trusted and loved dearly.

"Katerina, you're married!" Marinette spoke in a hushed whisper, unable to stop the smile from appearing on her face.

The boisterous woman gave a snort and slapped her knee, "Oh, Marinette! Make sure you don't tell anyone!" The two laughed together until silence fell upon them. "You cannot hide this from me, you know. I know that something is bothering you." She looked at Marinette and tilted her chin upwards. "What's wrong, my dear?"

Marinette threw her arms around Katerina, burying her face into the crook of her neck. She breathed in the familiar scent of vanilla and the homey fragrance of coffee as they embraced. When Marinette pulled away, she couldn't bear to look at Katerina in the eye. Face downcast, she spoke, "I've done something terrible. If my father were to find out, he would definitely kill me. I feel incredibly guilty and I...I just don't know what to do." She sneaked a glance at her maid, knowing she would most likely be disappointed in her, but she saw only compassion and forgiveness.

"Marinette, I suppose I can't ask you what happened?" Marinette shook her head. "Well, in that case, I can only give you some advice. Things happen and sometimes, even we do things that we don't think about, which cost us a lot later on in our lives. All of our actions have consequences, no matter how big or small they may be, but in the end, the way we choose to learn from that action is what helps us grow as people. I don't know what happened, but what I'm trying to say is to learn from whatever mistake you made. Do you understand?" Katerina's calloused hands made her way into Marinette's hair, stroking the glimmering midnight strands softly.

"I know that this may be hard for you, but it helps if you remember that everything happens for a reason." Marinette nodded silently as they stayed in that position for some time. A knock from outside broke the quiet peace and Katerina immediately broke away and started fumbling.

"Oh my goodness, look at the time! We better get you dressed! Your parents will be waiting!" She pushed Marinette into the bath, and the soothing scent of lavender wafted through the air.

"Lavender?"

"I know you usually prefer roses, but I thought lavender would help soothe whatever nerves you had. I can change it if you wish."

"No, no. This is great, Katerina. Thank you so much." She smiled at the older woman, warmth blooming in her chest.

Katerina simply nodded with a smile and left. "You know what to do if you need me."

Marinette stepped into the large bathtub, the warm water tingling the tips of her toes. She took deep breaths as the scent of lavender wrapped her like a blanket. She lathered the shampoo into her hair and took time to wash it out. Opening her eyes, she traced little patterns in the water, humming softly.

It was then when she saw a figure on the surface of the water. She blinked, wondering if she was seeing things. The image became clearer and clearer the longer she looked at it. Finally, she could recognize her own expression. She saw the tears in her eyes as... _oh_.

Terror clutched her heart again as she continued to look at herself with the three men. She felt like she needed to scream. Her heart pounded a million beats a second and she felt the sweat beads start to form on her forehead. She shook her head, her damp hair whipping her face painfully. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat but to no avail.

Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, there was only the water and her own frazzled expression staring back at her.

She ran a shaky hand through the wet strands of her hair, pushing them back. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She rung the hanging cord to summon Katerina and tried to look as if she'd only been enjoying the bath.

When Katerina arrived, Marinette tried her best to smile, but all that came out was a crooked slant. Thankfully, Katerina didn't notice a thing as she bustled around her, fussing over her hair and clothing. A knock on her door caused them both to pause. "I'll get the door!"

Marinette looked at her reflection in the large mirror. People would think that her skin was glowing and clear, but she only saw the pale blotchiness in her cheeks. They would think of her hair as an endless midnight sky, but she could only see the dry, dull shine that it gave off. She looked into her own eyes and saw the fear hidden beneath them.

Marinette broke out of her trance as she felt someone put a hand on her shoulder. She squeaked and turned around, only to see the worried face of her mother.

" _Maman_! You scared me!"

Her mother frowned, "Marinette, I've been calling your name for the last minute. Are you alright?"

Marinette could not face her mother's gaze at the moment, so she just looked down. "Look at me, Marinette." Her face slowly rose to meet her mother's eyes. After a minute of the close scrutiny, her mother sighed. "I know what this is about," Marinette's heart raced. Had her mother figured out her betrayal? Could she see the fear and terror embedded in her eyes? "You're just nervous that you won't find someone." At that, Marinette took a deep breath. So she didn't know after all.

"Don't worry, my dear. Many people have turned up for this day. I know there will be someone perfect waiting for you." Sabine smiled.

Marinette nodded, trying to fight the tears of relief. "Yeah. I-I mean _yes._ That's what I was _really_ afraid of and I feel much better now. Thank you." Her mother grinned at her.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, let's go. Everyone is waiting for you."

They both walked into the throne room. There was an obvious tension in the air after the heated argument between Marinette and her father, but all she wanted to do was forget it had ever happened and move on. She greeted her father curtly, "Good Morning, Papa."

"Good morning to you as well Marinette." He glanced at her. "I apologize for my behavior, Marinette. It was not my intention to hurt you in any way."

She spoke quickly, trying to fight the incoming images of fear flashing through her brain. "Don't worry about it, Papa."

"I just wanted to say that I'm really proud of you for challenging me that day. _That_ is what makes for a good ruler: going with your judgment of doing what's really right." His proud expression brought waves of guilt into Marinette and she gripped the armrests of her seat so hard that her knuckles turned white.

However, she was quite surprised by his statement. "Thank you, Papa."

At that very moment, the guards opened the door to reveal all the men and even a few women from the village. Her father came close enough to whisper in her ear. "All of these people have already been tested for their physical ability beforehand. They will present themselves and then leave you to converse with them so you can see which one you like best." She nodded as she looked straight ahead.

Her count revealed that there were about twelve men and about two women. They lined up in front of the royal family and all of them bowed deeply.

Her father rose. "Welcome to all of you. As you may already know, my daughter, your Princess Marinette, has finally been permitted to go outside. By the end of the day, she will choose one of you to be her protector. Please introduce yourselves, starting from the left to the right." He sat back down.

Marinette watched as they all introduced themselves. She wasn't really paying attention, for her mind was already preoccupied with other things. "...Princess?" A warm, silky voice interrupted her train of thoughts. She looked up to see a handsome young man. From what she could see, his eyes were a beautiful shade of honey. Her heart faltered in her chest. She had almost believed that it had been Chat Noir. For some reason, she felt a twinge of guilt for associating this man with Chat Noir.

Oddly enough, the word "Princess" felt wrong coming from the different voice. Of course, many other people called her Princess, but this felt different.

Marinette mentally kicked herself for being so ridiculous.

"I'm sorry, what?" She felt bad for not paying attention.

The man just smiled, dimples showing through. "No need to apologize, I know I may be quite boring to listen to." He said it with a humorous lilt to his voice and Marinette couldn't help but giggle. "I just asked if you were doing well?"

The lie slipped easily past her lips and for that she was glad. "I'm doing well, sir."

"Well, we can't have the Princess be anything but well, can we?"

"No, I guess not."

He bowed deeply. "Allow me to introduce myself, your majesties. My name is Théo Barbot and I am very pleased to have gotten this opportunity to serve you all. Thank you for your kindness and generosity." For the first time that day, Marinette smiled a real smile.

She immediately took a liking to him. He was the first person out of the twelve standing in front of her to even ask how she was doing, which meant he was caring. He also had a good sense of humor - not like the ridiculous puns of Chat Noir - and he carried himself with confidence, something she had always aspired to have.

Once everyone was done, they left through the main door. Her father broke the silence first. "So…?"

"Well...they were all very nice people. But I especially liked one of them. I think his name was Théo?"

"Ah, yes. I liked his attitude as well. He was very charming, no?" Her father winked, and Marinette felt her face growing considerably warm.

"Papa!"

Her father laughed along with her mother. "Would you like it if you got a chance to meet with him personally?"

She considered the idea for a moment before replying. "That does sound like a good plan. Yes."

"Very well, then. I will let him know." Her father got up and kissed her forehead before he walked out. "I'm very proud of you, darling. You will make a fine queen someday."

* * *

That night, Marinette sat on her bed, tracing the flowers on her bedsheets. A soft wind blew through the window, ruffling her hair forward. She walked outside and stared at the full moon above. The stars glistened like diamonds in the sky. She couldn't help but close her eyes and hum with the breeze.

A soft thump sounded next to her and without even opening her eyes, Marinette knew exactly who it was. However, she didn't want to deal with him at the moment, so she just continued to hum and pretended to ignore him.

"I know you know that I'm here, Princess." His voice was full of uncertainty and hesitation, which was very unlike him. He hadn't shown up in a week and just when she had just started to feel better about everything (she wouldn't admit it to herself that she really wasn't), he just had to show up and ruin her delicate sense of peace.

His presence brought back waves of bad memories and opened up wounds that were still fresh. She felt them start to open up again and fought to keep them closed.

She coughed, and the air was suddenly a little bit too warm and felt it start to suffocate her from the inside. She opened her eyes and tried to do anything to avoid looking him in the eye. She couldn't face him. It would just tear her apart more than it already had.

"Chat Noir," Her voice was hoarse, and she hated how weak it sounded. "What a pleasant surprise. I'd hoped I would never see you again."

"I…"

"Well, in case you didn't quite get it, that was sarcasm. So you know...I want you to leave."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and was surprised to see that his expression didn't hold any of his usual mirth. His emerald eyes were dull and even his little cat ears were facing downward.

After a long, silent moment, she sighed, finally frustrated. "What do you _want_ from me, Chat?! I've tried to tell you to go away countless, yet you still continue to come here. What is your problem!?" She couldn't hold it in anymore. Her anger poured out of her and she couldn't even feel sorry for him.

"I just came here to apologize! I-I thought you would at least be grateful that I ended up saving your life. I also know that it wasn't my place to say anything about-"

"Oh, so you just came here to get my thanks? Okay-"

"That's not what I meant-"

She put her hands together and looked him in the eye. "-well thank you, Chat Noir for saving my life. There. You have my gratitude. Anything else you need from me?" She stepped away from him so he wouldn't see the hot tears run down her face. She swiped at them furiously.

After a moment's pause, he responded, but there was a new cold edge to his voice. "Yes actually, I wanted to know if it was true if you were letting Théo Barbot become your bodyguard."

She gasped and turned around. "How did you find out about that? Are you stalking me now?"

"Just…" He pursed his lips, feet tapping on the floor impatiently. "Just answer the question."

She turned to him and crossed her arms. "Why do you care? And yes...what if he is? Why does it matter to you?"

After a pause, he responded with a heavy sigh. "He's...he's not as good if a person like you believe he is. You can't agree to let him be your bodyguard."

"So now you think you can tell me what to do? Just because you're _jealous_ that we've had a better interaction in one time than you and I have ever had since we first met?" She shook her head, unable to believe him. "Really? Come on! Could you be any more _ridiculous_?!"

He walked forward and put a hand on her shoulder, which she immediately shook off. "Don't touch me!"

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "Look, it doesn't matter what I think. He _is_ bad news, whether you like it or not." He leaped away in the darkness of night, leaving behind a very conflicted Marinette.

* * *

 **I apologize for the longer than usual wait. I write on my phone rather than my computer because I tend to write better and have my ideas flow easier on a phone. My phone stopped working mysteriously two weeks ago, so I thought of finishing writing this chapter on the computer, but I thought it would be better to wait because I thought** _ **quality over quantity**_ **. I got a new phone, so** _ **yay**_ **, but I'm thinking that it would be easier to update every 3-4 weeks because of all the school work that I have going on. Hopefully, you guys are okay with that.**

 **And thank you, once again, for all the support and kindness you all have shown me. You really are the best.**

 **Thank you and have a wonderful day/night!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm still alive!**

 **Enjoy ;)!**

* * *

 _What could he have meant?_

She absolutely hated Chat Noir, and she had no reason to trust him at all, but something about his tone sent a shiver run down her spine.

And his green eyes, glowing in the moonlight. They were so different from what she was used to seeing. In their previous encounters, they were filled with a familiar warmth and sincerity. She only saw that in a few people. Namely, her mother, father, Katerina, Alya, Nino, and Adrien. Namely, the people who were most important in her life.

But Chat? She barely even knew him. Aside from the fact that he was a massive jerk, she really didn't know him that well.

The question she couldn't attempt to answer was why he had such a fond look in his eyes. For all she knew, he was a complete stranger to her and vice versa.

 _But his eyes._

In their last encounter, they were hard and cold, completely stripped of any warmth that may have been there before.

 _And his last words._

She couldn't stop thinking about how he looked absolutely furious, yet completely closed off at the same time. The bitterness in his tone surprised her even now as she thought about what he had said the previous night.

 _Look, it doesn't matter what I think. He is bad news, whether you like it or not._

Those words were the ones that occupied her mind. She just couldn't stop thinking about them. But why did she feel that way? Why did she feel like...she somehow believed him in the inside? Like she _knew_ , deep inside, that he was telling her the truth, no matter how much she wanted to deny it?

A quick knock at the door broke her out of the racing thoughts running through her mind. "Uh...come in!" She said as the door opened in response a few seconds afterward.

Katerina came through, her form bustling as usual as she squealed. "Oh my goodness, Marinette! It's Sir Théo." She began pacing around the room as she began to tidy up the nonexistent messes.

Marinette started at Katerina, quirking her eyebrows. "What about him?" Katerina paused to stare at her with an are-you-really-kidding-me look.

"He requested to talk to you in the gardens so you both can get to know each other. Your parents thought it would be a good idea for both of you before you make the final decision to…" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "appoint him as your bodyguard! Oh, this is all so romantic! It would make such a good story if anyone decided to write it." She gushed.

Marinette was torn between what her heart and mind were telling her to do. She wanted to get to know Théo and tell herself, prove to herself that there were good men out there, contrary to what she had experienced so far in her life. But her mind kept flashing her images of Chat Noir and what he had said the previous night.

She closed her eyes tightly for a moment and pressed her lips together. "What should I wear?"

Her maid clapped her hands together and rushed into her closet. "It might seem a little, well, _crazy_...but I was imagining all of the scenarios with you and Théo and I think that this pale yellow dress," she pulled out a midi length satin dress embroidered with delicate roses, "would look absolutely stunning on you. It's just such a beautiful contrast between the blue of your eyes and your hair, don't you think?"

Marinette shrugged, unaware of what to say. "I mean if that's what you think is best…"

Katerina nodded furiously. "Yes! I really do. Try it on, my dear." Marinette stepped into the closet closed her eyes while Katerina helped her get into the dress. She played with the fabric between her fingers and loved how the cloth felt soft and silky between her fingers, but there was something off. She looked at her reflection in the mirror but didn't feel as if it were her standing there. She turned around to face her maid.

"How do I look?"

The woman clapped her hands around her mouth. "You look absolutely gorgeous, my darling. So much like your mother." As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and her Maman peeked in.

"Are you ready, Marinette? Théo's out waiting in the garden waiting for you."

She walked to her mother. "Yes, I'm ready."

Her maman smiled, "You look beautiful."

Marinette tried to crack a smile, "Thank you, maman."

They walked to the garden together, which was heavily circulated with guards around the premises. Her mother opened the large garden doors and Marinette couldn't help sighing deeply as the fresh air hit her nose. Seeing the garden from her window was very different from actually being in it. She'd left the palace to sneak out through the garden, but she didn't really have time to experience everything fully.

Now, nothing was stopping her. She stepped down the steps and relished the way the warm sun hit her bare shoulders, the heat soothing her from the inside out. The floral fragrance was lovely and she couldn't resist touching some of the roses next to her.

"Good afternoon, your majesties." She looked up to see Théo standing there in front of her. He bowed deeply and stepped forward to kiss her hand.

Marinette looked behind to see her mother nod at him. "Well, Sir Théo, this is your chance to formally get to know your princess. I'll leave you both to it." She turned around and left, causing an awkward silence to fill the air.

Marinette looked at him and saw a strange look in his eyes, one that she couldn't quite put her finger on. His steady gaze made her feel slightly uncomfortable and uneasy. He cleared his throat and smiled. "You look beautiful, Marinette."

She tensed at hearing her name being said and Chat's eyes flashed through her mind. "Thank you," She managed to say, "but please call me, Princess for now. You must understand, I only let people who know me well call me Marinette. And since I don't really know you that well, I-"

She was interrupted by the sound of his laugh. "Alright, Princess. Noted." He held her arm out for her to take, which she reluctantly did.

"Would you like to just talk and walk around?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Yes, I think that would be best."

"So, why haven't your parents ever let you go outside?" She tensed up again but reminded herself to judge Théo herself and not by anyone else's opinion. Her parents hadn't seen a problem and they'd done extensive checks on him. However, the seed was planted in her mind, and it was hard to get the thought out of her mind at this point. She took a deep breath and managed to smile.

"Well, there…was an incident when I was little. I came out...with a friend, early in the morning, and we were eating strawberries here when this man grabbed me. They tried to take me away. My friend, he saved my life by alerting the guards." She remembered the memory, feeling gratitude towards Adrien. He'd saved her life. How she wished he were here, experiencing his and her first time outside together.

She continued, "His father and my father banned both of us from ever leaving the castle. I've grown up inside the walls ever since, never even stepping a foot outside." She remembered the recent incident and winced at the lie. "This is...this is actually the first time I've been outside in...forever." He looked at her, his brown eyes wide in the sunlight.

"Wow, really? That's a long time. How did you manage?"

She looked down at her shoes and then at the dirt underneath, suddenly feeling shy. "Well, don't think for a second that I didn't protest. I did, many times actually. I guess...my father just got tired listening to me beg to him all the time."

She was surprised when he laughed a deep, hearty laugh from her right side. Théo clutched his cheats dramatically, laughing. His laugh was so funny, it made her release a laugh herself.

Soon, they were both sprawled on the floor, wiping tears from their eyes. Marinette couldn't remember a time where she'd laughed so much. It made her feel so much better. Maybe Théo wasn't what Chat Noir thought he was. It was probably a misunderstanding or a misjudgment of character.

She managed to open her tears eyes to peer at Théo, who was wiping a tear from his eye. He looked at her. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. It's just, I imagined the king being all high and mighty and getting annoyed at you, and that just cracked me up."

"I know, me too."

They say together on the ground for a while, just sitting in silence.

"Thank you." She finally said.

He looked at her, "What for?"

"For making me laugh. I...I haven't laughed that way in a very long time. It's just…" She hesitated, not knowing if she should tell him something so personal. She was the Princess, and she was used to doing things to help her people. Never once did she ever express how she felt to anyone else - except maybe Alya - but even then, there was this constant pressure on her to always be poised and perfect.

She was never allowed to have flaws or even be human. The only times she could be herself was when she was with her closest family and friends. But even then, she had been reserved in what she said.

Théo quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

She took a deep breath. If he was going to be her bodyguard, then he might as well know. "Well...it's just…" She closed her eyes, to think about how she could put what she wanted to say into words. "I'm the Princess, so I, well, I'm expected from everyone to keep up this image. It's like...an unspoken rule that good kings and queens have to think about their kingdom before they can think about anyone else. Sometimes, that all becomes a little bit burdensome, and I want to forget about...everything. You know?"

He stared at her with an intense look in his eyes and her cheeks started to burn immediately. "S-sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have said anything at all."

"No, no. Don't apologize. I know that feeling...maybe not in the same way as you, but yeah, I can understand. I'm the youngest...of three boys."

"Oh wow, that's tough."

"Yeah, totally. And sometimes I feel as if I have to constantly work and give myself to get the attention of my father. He views me as sort of a weakling, so I have tried really hard to impress him."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head at her. "No, don't be. If it weren't for him...I wouldn't have ever met you." His smile at the moment sent a blush straight to her cheeks.

No one had ever said anything like that to her before, and now that someone had, she was at a loss for words.

She stammered, "Thank you," She then proceeded to wonder if that was the correct response to give.

Seeing that the sun was setting and it was starting to get dark, she cleared her throat, "Would you like a tour of the palace?"

He stood up and held out his hand for her to take. "I would love that, yes, Your Highness."

* * *

"Those are the servant quarters right there and to the left is the main sitting area." Marinette pointed to a large room where there were lots of plush pillows and sofas, and a large fireplace right in the corner. It was her favorite room in the palace.

She led him to another door. "Would you like to see the kitchen? I sometimes go there and bake. It helps me calm down."

His face lit up and she giggled, opening the door. A delicious aroma wafted through her nose, full of herbs and vegetables.

"Good evening, Mrs. Césaire. What's that wonderful smell?"

Upon seeing her, the head cook curtsied. "Dinner for today will be salmon fillets, roast vegetables, minestrone soup, and chocolate lava cake for dessert. How does that sound?"

Marinette clapped her hands together. "That sounds absolutely delicious. Do we have any of the leftover macarons I baked yesterday?"

Mrs. Césaire's eyes twinkled. "I do think we have a few. It was hard enough for us to stop Adrien from finishing all of them though."

Marinette laughed. Adrien was the biggest fan of her desserts. Sometimes, she'd like to believe that if she wasn't a Princess, she would probably be in the village being a baker and seamstress. But she hardly gets any time to entertain that idea.

She grabbed Théo's hand and leads him in the back, revealing two macarons. "Try one and tell me what you think."

He takes one and puts it into his mouth, chewing and chewing for a long time. "Hmm, I think...these are fabulous! What flavor?"

A grin takes over her mouth, "Passionfruit."

"Well, these are amazing."

She felt her face getting warm again. "Well, if you say so." She headed back to the exit, turning around to wish Mrs. Césaire a good night before leaving.

"Where's your room? I don't think I've seen it yet." He stated, taking another bite of the macaron.

"It's this way." They came to a series of doors down a hallway and she paused. "This one is my parents' room, and this one," She stopped before a large door, "is mine." She reached forward to turn the doorknob, until-

"Put that back." A firm voice that makes her head turn to find the source. Adrien stood there with his arms folded against his chest. His face did not look particularly happy at the moment.

"I said, _Théo_ , put that back." He repeated once again.

Marinette looked to Théo, who had a scowl on his face. "What are you talking about? How do you know my name?"

At this point, she felt confused as to what was happening.

"Why don't you take that out of your bag and show Marinette what you stole?"

She gasped, "Théo?"

He turned to her, a fervent look in his eyes. "I don't steal anything."

"I saw you. Don't lie. She's the Princess and her father can easily have you hanged if he wished it." Adrien growled.

"Théo, if you really didn't steal anything, then would it hurt to show me? If you're not guilty of anything, then it shouldn't matter." She didn't know what to think at this point. She'd been led to believe that he was a good person all along. Marinette hoped this was all a misunderstanding.

Suddenly, she felt two iron hands grab her shoulders roughly. They dug into the skin very painfully. She looked to Théo in horror and was even more terrified when she saw the murderous look in his expression. His eyes had gone from a honey brown to a deep dark coal shade. She was paralyzed and she could do nothing to stop it. "You stupid, stupid Princess!" His voice had an evil edge to it, one that sent shivers down her spine.

"Hey, stop! Leave her alone!" She felt him being yanked away from her and she finally felt as if she could breathe again.

"Guards, check his bag!" Everything was moving so quickly, she didn't know what to do or think. She briefly saw the guards grabbing Théo and then another one grabbing his bag and opening it. Her eyes widened when she realized what he'd stolen.

The guard held up the hexagonal box with her ladybug earrings and gave them to her. She took them with trembling hands, afraid to realize what would've happened if he would have gotten away with it. Her most prized possession would have been lost forever.

"How... _how could you_?" She could only say that much until a storm of tears gathered in her eyes. She wanted so badly to believe that she'd found someone good, someone, who she could finally trust. But it was all for nothing.

"You don't understand! I-"

"Guards, take him to my father and t-tell him what happened." They nodded and took him away as he struggled against them.

When they were all gone and the hallway was completely silent, she finally broke down, falling to the floor, and found comfort in Adrien's strong, protective embrace.

* * *

Later that night, she went out into her balcony and sighed, looking at the Ladybug earring she held in the palm of her hands. She put them on carefully, making sure each one was placed the right way.

The soft wind blew through her hair and the floral fragrance wafted through the air. But this time, she didn't find any comfort in them.

Leaning against the railing, she looked to the moon and sighed. "You were right, Chat Noir." She whispered into the breeze, hoping he would appear out of nowhere like he usually did so she could apologize.

But alas, it was only herself that was there at the moment. She looked down at the ground below sadly, hoping the wind would somehow carry her words to him.

* * *

 **What did you all think? I actually went away on a trip where there was no internet so I couldn't write, but now I'm back!**

 **Hopefully, this chapter was up to expectations. I feel like I'm improving a lot as a writer, but as always, tell me what you think in the reviews so I can continue to get better :).**


	8. Chapter 8

_**A month later**_

"Oh my goodness, Mari! Your party's going to be amazing! I can just see it now, the guests dressed in fancy outfits, the cake being over a hundred feet high, the decor is just on point, and you looking fabulous as usual, charming everyone with your beauty and wits and-"

"Alya! Stop!" Marinette giggled. They were standing in the middle of the ballroom, watching the preparations for her 18th birthday party come into order. It was a tradition for the Dupain kingdom to have a giant party whenever a royal turned eighteen and an even bigger one (though by the looks of it, Marinette didn't even know how it was going to top this one) on coronation day when they turned 21.

She'd gotten over the entire bodyguard situation at this point and even her parents had seemingly forgotten about the entire ordeal. She was fine with that.

She just never wanted to go out again.

It was too painful. Maybe the palace was where she belonged. Maybe it was destiny's way of trying to tell her to stay where she was at. At this point, she didn't know about anything.

She hadn't seen Chat Noir since that night. The haunting luminescence his eyes gave off that night still came up in her dreams. She felt terrible for everything she'd said to him in the past. Now that she thought about it, she realized that he only wanted to protect her. He'd never actually done her any arm, quite the opposite, actually. And now, because of her words, she realized that it was possible that she might never see him again.

Again, it was that time that brought up very painful memories and she just wanted to move on.

* * *

 _ **1 Week Before The Party**_

"Tikki, what dress do you think would be appropriate for this event?" Marinette asked her kwami.

Yes, it was true. After she had put on the ladybug earrings that night, she had been surprised to see a little flying creature come out of it.

Maybe surprised wasn't the right word.

It was more like freaked out.

All the other times she had put on the earrings, nothing like this ever happened. It was just normal. But now, she could imagine a life where Tikki wasn't in it. Marinette smiled fondly at the little kwami as she remembered that day.

 ** _::::::_**

 _She walked back into the room and felt exhausted after all of the events that occurred that day. She laid on her bed and sighed, looking up at the ceiling._

 _All she wanted to do was curl up into a little ball and forget that anything had ever happened. She closed her eyes and focused on concentrating on the silence and comfort of her bedroom…_

 _"Hello, Marinette!" Her eyes flew open at the high pitched sound and she adjusted her blurry vision to see a black spotted red flying creature?_

 _Her first instinct was to scream. Maybe now her traumatizing experiences had led her to a permanent state of hallucination._

 _However, if she screamed, a guard would come and then it would be impossible for her to explain a flying being. They would all think she was crazy._

 _She resorted to screaming in her pillow and then grabbing another one off to the side, trying to swat the little thing. But it was expertly dodging all of her attacks._

 _"Please, Marinette, let me explain!" At hearing the tiny voice again, she jumped out of her bed, looking around the room for something to trap the little floating creature with. Aha! Her eyes landed on a glass jar. Grabbing it fast, she swooped down to tarp it inside._

 _With shaking hands, she plopped the lid on top and stared at it. The little thing shrugged. "Okay. If that makes you feel safer."_

 _She put the jar on the table and stared at it with wide eyes. "What are you doing in my room? Better question, w-who are you?"_

 _The creature smiled sweetly, "My name is Tikki and I'm a kwami. It's a pleasure to meet you, Marinette!"_

 _Marinette blinked. That wasn't what she was expecting. "Where did you even come from?"_

 _"I came from your earrings!" Her hand flew to her earrings in shock._

 _"How's that possible? I've worn these many times before and nothing has ever happened!"_

 _The kwami placed her tiny hands on the surface of the jar. "I can explain, but I need to be able to come out of the jar. Is that alright?"_

 _Marinette nodded and reached over to open the jar lid, but then paused when she saw the little being phased through it. She held back from screaming once again and took large breaths to calm herself._

 _The kwami now stood in front of her. "I was always here, Marinette. I just never showed myself to you because you simply weren't ready yet. She flew to a little nook in the wall. I hid here and watched you," she flew back to Marinette, "you've grown up to be a very wise young woman, Marinette."_

 ** _::::::_**

After that, Tikki had explained other things to her. She'd been glad Tikki came into her life at this point.

The little god flew to her closet, perusing around until she came back, "Why don't you make something to wear? Your talent is extraordinary, Marinette. You could easily make a gown that's personalized than any of these ones right here."

Marinette looked to the ground sadly. "I wish I could. But I rarely get any time to myself."

"You could work on it whenever you do get the chance. If you don't finish it, then you can just pick out another gown to wear."

She hummed, considering the idea, "Okay." She nodded and looked at her. "Actually, I'm going to go ahead and start now."

She rushed to her work table and took out a piece of paper. As the ink touched paper, her mind exploded with inspiration and ideas. When she was done, she looked at her work and nodded proudly. "This is it.

* * *

 _ **5 Hours Before The Party**_

"Happy Birthday, Your Highness! Oh, it's such an exciting day!" She let Katerina come into the room, smiling at the older woman.

It was about 3 PM, and the party would start at 7. Her father had invited all of the people from the kingdom as a celebration of her eighteenth birthday. Everyone she loved would be there and she was so happy she would be spending this time with all of them.

"Thank you, Katerina!"

The boisterous woman hummed as she tidied up the room, making sure everything was in its place. Then she went over to the bath and filled it up with warm water. "Would you like the rose scented oils in your bath?"

Marinette nodded as she watched Katerina pour a few drops in. She breathed the floral fragrance in and immediately felt calm. She looked over at Tikki, who was up in the crook of the wall and smiled.

Katerina stepped away from the tab and felt the water. "Perfectly warm and lovely. What dress will you be wearing tonight?"

Marinette eyes widened. She looked down to her feet. "Well, I didn't exactly choose one…"

She peeled at Katerina from the corner of her eye and almost laughed when she saw her turn red. She fanned her face repeatedly dramatically. "What? You don't have gown picked out yet? Oh my goodness, Katerina, breathe in...breathe out... breathe in…"

Marinette giggled at Katerina's hysterics. She held out her hand. "I want to show you something." Gently leading her to the other side of the room, she paused and reached under her dresser to reveal a box.

She gave it to Katerina shyly. "Open it and tell me what you think." The older woman sent a critical look her way before lifting the lid slowly.

Marinette looked at her as she gasped. "Oh my goodness, Marinette. What...where did you get this?"

"Take it out."

Katerina lifted the gown out and laid it on the bed so both of them were able to fully see the design properly.

Upon seeing the design she gasped again, completely in awe. She reached out to touch the silky fabric gingerly. "Did you…did you make this?"

Marinette nodded as she watched Katerina run her fingers down the length of the gown. "It's stunning, Marinette. I've never seen such a beautiful gown before. I knew you had talent, but I've never seen it like...this."

The bluenette felt a heat bloom to her cheeks when she heard the compliment. "Well...thank you, Katerina. I'm very glad you like it. To say she was surprised when Katerina engulfed her in a hug was an understatement.

She was stunned when she felt her arms wrap around her comfortingly. The arms shook a little and she came to the realization that Katerina was crying. Concern overtook her as she gently pulled away, looking into the older woman's eyes.

"Katerina? What's wrong?" She whispered.

Katerina dabbed at her cheeks, stumbling over her words. "It's just...when I look at you, I realize that so much has been put on your shoulders. A-and at such a young age...you're such an amazing designer, and I wish you were able to share your talent with the world. Not cooped up in such a small place."

Marinette stood there for a moment before reaching over and giving her maid a hug. "I'm very grateful to have you in my life, Katerina."

"What?"

"If I wasn't born a princess, I would never have met you. My life wouldn't have been the same."

"I guess that's true." They both laughed together. "Oh my goodness, you need to get ready. Come."

When Marinette was done with her bath, Katerina assisted her with her gown. She then proceeded to curl her hair.

When Marinette looked at the mirror, she saw a completely different person. The woman staring back at her at milky, fair skin with thick dark lashes, and a soft pink blush on her cheeks. Her lips had just a little bit of a rosy color. Her midnight hair cascaded down her shoulders, falling like a dark, mysterious waterfall. Her dress was made out of scarlet silk with sheer black lace on the cap sleeves. There was a large ribbon on the middle of the bodice that tied like a bow in the back.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Marinette, if I do say so myself."

Marinette blushed again as she twirled in a full circle in the center of the room. She felt confident for the first time in a long time.

* * *

 _ **At The Party**_

"Alya, you look beautiful!" Her spunky, best friend turned around and gasped as soon as her eyes laid on Marinette.

"Me? I don't think you know what you're talking about, Mari. You're the one who looks absolutely fabulous. Like I said before." Alya turned to Nino and laughed. "Look, even he's awestruck."

Both girls laughed as Nino gathered the words to say. "You look great, Nette."

"Where's Adrien?" She asked and as if on cue she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She turned around and came face to face Adrien.

He was wearing a crisp suit with a spring green tie. He looked very handsome in it, that much she could tell. "Adrien! How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Marinette. How are you?" He looked at her with sincere emerald eyes and smiled at her. "You look beautiful."

She blushed, cheeks flushing at a compliment from her childhood friend. "Thank you, Adrien. You don't look too bad yourself." She giggled as she noticed Adrien's blush.

"Fellow citizens of the Dupain Kingdom," Marinette looked to the staircase where her father was speaking. "we are all meeting today to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of my daughter and your future queen, Her Highness Marinette Esmée Dupain. Come up here my daughter."

Marinette gathered her skirts and headed up the step. She stood facing her future subjects and felt an immense amount of pride.

"I just want to say, thank you, for all being part of my kingdom. Each and every one of you has impacted my life in a positive way and I hope, when the time comes, I can be a good queen to all of you. But for now, please enjoy all of the festivities." She smiled, heart swelling with gratitude and appreciation as she heard the clapping from the audience. The orchestra began to play and the people began to dance.

She headed to Nino, Alya, and Adrien. "You were great, Mari." She looked at Nino and held out her hand, " Would you like to dance, babe?"

"You know it." Nino and Alya headed into the dance floor and Marinette stared after them. They were the perfect couple, and they fit so perfectly. At that moment, Marinette couldn't help but want someone who looked at her the way Nino looked at Alya.

"Marinette?" She was broken out of her trance when she heard Adrien's voice. His hand was outstretched for her to take. She looked into his eyes, warm and gentle. "Would you like to dance?"

She grinned as she took his hand. He led them into the ballroom dance floor. "I'm sorry about your father, Adrien." She couldn't help but say it. His father had gone away on a business event and was said to come back last week, but he still hadn't come back.

He looked at her, "Don't be, Marinette. He'll be back soon. After all, he's never out for too long to make sure I'm not getting into any trouble." Though his eyes stayed the same, a sliver of bitterness came out from his tone.

He cleared his throat and was surprised as he led them away from the dance floor. "Excuse me. I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well." He left the ballroom after a quick bow. She kicked herself mentally for asking such a personal question. She could see that he still missed his father, no matter how much he tried to deny it. That much was obvious to her.

Alya and Nino came through the crowd to stand with her. "Where's Adrien?" He looked to the crowd, trying to spot his friend.

Marinette looked to the ground sadly. "He said he wasn't feeling well."

"Forgive me, my subjects, but I have an important announcement to make. As you may know, I banned my daughter from stepping outside of the palace walls because of an unfortunate incident many, many years ago. Since then, I have recently decided that she would greatly benefit as a queen if she was allowed to go outside. I have chosen a very suitable bodyguard for her, "her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach at hearing those words, "which I hope you will all give the warmest welcome to. He was the one who approached me and offered to be her protector. He is not only a very good man, but he also is known by the people of our kingdom, which is why my wife and I agreed he would be a perfect choice."

As her father continued speaking, Marinette struggled to comprehend what this was going to come to. She thought they had all forgotten about the entire bodyguard ordeal. Why couldn't they just understand that she didn't want to go outside? She didn't want any bodyguard and just preferred to stay in the safety of her home, where she belonged.

Basically, she didn't want to go outside anymore.

All she wanted to do was run up to her father and tell him to stop, but her legs seemed to be rooted to the spot.

"...so please, help me welcome _Chat Noir_!"

Upon hearing those words, the world stopped around her. The thundering applause was muted as she raised her head slowly to meet Chat Noir's gaze. Alya and Nino's smiling faces were blurred as she struggled to stand. Her head swam, and the bright decoration in the ballroom felt like it was blinding her.

Why was she feeling this way, you ask?

Because, at that moment, nothing hurt more than hearing his name come out of her father's mouth and seeing him again.

* * *

 **Let me make a few things clear:  
1\. I actually have no idea where this story is going to go or where it's going to end. So I'm experiencing all of these feels and emotions with all of you!  
2\. Marinette doesn't have a crush on Adrien.  
3\. Marinette told Tikki about everything (all the traumatizing events) that happened to her. Tikki didn't want to burden Marinette by telling her that she can give her powers to save people, which is why Marinette knows nothing about having the ability to be a superhero or potentially using powers to save people. Hopefully, that makes sense.**

 **Also, thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews. You have no idea how happy they make me. I do a little happy dance every time I see a notification in my email. So please, if you are able to take some time out of your day to leave a review, that would be greatly appreciated :).**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Recap**_

" _...so please, help me welcome Chat Noir!"_

 _Upon hearing those words, the world stopped around her. The thundering applause was muted as she raised her head slowly to meet Chat Noir's gaze. Alya and Nino's smiling faces were blurred as she struggled to stand. Her head swam, and the bright decoration in the ballroom felt like it was blinding her._

 _Why was she feeling this way, you ask?_

 _Because, at that moment, nothing hurt more than hearing his name come out of her father's mouth and seeing him again.  
_

* * *

He looked at her from across the large ballroom, hoping to see her face looking back at him with some kind of pleasant surprise. Maybe he would have a chance to apologize to her and she would see that he wasn't such a terrible person after all. He'd said the worst thing at the worst time, but he never got the chance to formally apologize, which made him a worse person than he already was.

He looked at her from across the large ballroom, heartbroken to see such a dejected look on her face. His heart nearly stopped when she slowly raised her head to look at him. Even from such a far distance, he could see that there was an emotion in her eyes that he couldn't quite place his finger on. He'd known her for so many years, but he still couldn't tell what she was thinking, other from being obviously disappointed.

What he definitely didn't expect to happen that night even in his worst scenarios was her turning and running away.

He went looking for her for what seemed like a very long time until he found her in her balcony. He should've known she would've been there. Her back was facing him as she sobbed, her knees tucked close to her chest. She must've sensed him approaching because she tensed immediately, wiping her eyes furiously.

"What do you want?"

He hesitated slightly. "I just wanted to apologize." His voice sounded small, even to himself and he hated it.

"What?" She wiped her eyes furiously with her bare arm and got up to face him. Her otherwise blushing face was flushed and tear streaked, hair a little frizzy and undone, dress wrinkled slightly, but to him, she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

"Stop staring." She grumbled as she continued to wipe the remaining tears.

He snapped out of his reverie. "Huh?"

"I might look like the ugliest person in the world right now, but you didn't have to rub it in." She crossed her arms across her chest with a stern expression on her face.

He blushed at the allegation that he'd been discovered and started to stammer. "I wasn't-I mean I...you know...w-well…"

"Save it."

Well, that effectively shut him up.

"What I want to know is why you suddenly decide to show up after so long? You can't...you don't just _leave_! And then showing up out of the blue when your father announces that you're gonna be my bodyguard...you don't _ever_ do that! What were you thinking?"

"If I'm being completely honest, Princess, you were the one who told me to leave that night." He tried to smile and make it seem like a joke, but she only frowned. "I thought you hated me and never wanted to see me again. So I thought...if I left...you'd be much happier."

He raised his head to look her in the eye and found it surprising that her expression was completely flabbergasted. " _What_?"

Not knowing if she understood what he said, he repeated, "I thought you hated me, so I-"

She smacked a hand on her forehead. "Are you seriously that big of an _idiot_? Ugh, didn't you know that girls are really complicated? When we tell you to leave, it doesn't always mean that. Sometimes we want to be comforted."

He stared at her, confused. "How was I supposed to know that? You looked so upset. I almost thought I was going to be murdered that night by the look on your face."

She huffed, and a pouty expression took over. "Okay, I guess it was partly my fault. But still!"

He didn't know what to say next so he just stood there, looking at her. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, particularly something that might get him hanged the next day. Her voice brought him out of his daze. "What are you looking at?" She asked, a questioning look on her face.

The next words he said just erupted out of him from nowhere. "You're just so beautiful." He heard himself say and instantly regretted it. Not because he didn't think so himself, but because her shocked expression spoke too many words, but none at the same time. He felt his face turn hot and nervously ran a gloved hand through his hair.

He saw something shift in her eyes and she shook her head. She cleared her throat. "Um...I guess I'll have to talk to my father, then. About this bodyguard thing." She was purposefully avoiding his gaze, he could tell that much.

Great. They were back to square one.

"Are you going to tell your father that you're fine with me being your bodyguard?"

She pursed her lips and nodded. "I don't fully trust you yet, but I think you're an okay choice."

"Just okay? I'm sure many would say that I'm the cattastic choice, wouldn't you say?" He joked around, half expecting her to kick him out of her room.

However, she just glared at him, her eyes saying many things at once, too many of them for him to understand. There settled a small moment of silence. Suddenly, she broke the quiet by saying in a small voice.. "I don't know if this is true or if it's just me, but...you...remind me of someone I know. And...I can't exactly place it and it's frustrating." She looked up to face him, eyes filled with unshed tears. "That's why I'm deciding to put my trust in you."

She spoke firmly, her voice wavering slightly. "I don't think I fully trust you...but something about you...it's just…don't let me down, okay?" Blue eyes shimmered in the darkness and he found himself being even more captivated than he already was. A line tear fell from her eye and he lifted his finger to catch it, but she swiped it away before he could do anything.

"...Because if you do," He looked at her eyes again, "I will make sure to end you. Mark my words, Chat Noir. You will not live to see another day. So...please, for your sake...I hope that nothing like that happens."

He gulped. Even though he would never even think or dream about hurting her, he hoped there would never be any instance where he gave her an opportunity to lose faith in him.

He stood up and nodded, holding out his hand for her to take. Her soft, but calloused fingers gently caressed the palm of his gloves hand and he almost shivered at the sensation. He pulled her up so that she was standing in front of him. He looked down to meet her gaze.

"I will never hurt you, Marinette. I'd rather hurt myself before I even think about hurting you and even that will never happen. You mean the worl-...I mean…" He mentally cursed himself for almost saying what he was going to. Yes, she did mean the world to him, but that was only to Adrien. Chat didn't have any connections or fondness for her as far as he was concerned.

He looked into her eyes and found a shocked, curious, and dare he say…amused expression? There was a strange flint dancing in her eyes and she looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue his statement.

"Err, what I was going to say is that you're the Princess. And I um...could never hurt you without facing the consequences." Cursing himself for making the statement sound like a question, he bit his lip, trying to be quiet as he waited hesitantly for her to laugh at him.

But she never did.

Instead, she averted her gaze. "You don't too sure of yourself...Kitty."

Oh boy. He wasn't expecting her to take that route. He wasn't going to complain though.

Marinette snuck a glance at him while he was temporarily distracted. His face was so solemn and genuine, that it was hard not to believe him entirely. But even she knew that the best deceivers were the ones who used their emotions to make people trust them. In the end, they left your soul and heart shattered in pieces and you wondered what made them so believable in the first place.

She definitely wasn't going to be able to trust him completely. But there was just something...something she couldn't explain. Something that drew her to him. Even when he left her that night, she couldn't help but wish he was still there and he hadn't ended up leaving. There was something about him that was genuine and kind. His eyes held a childlike innocence and his smiles (though rare, he smirked much more often) were sweet and charming.

She didn't want to compare him to Théo and she could tell he was completely different from him. The only problem was that however much she wanted to believe him, there was that one stray thought that asked her 'what if?'

What if he was just like all the others?

Because God knew her heart wouldn't be able to take it anymore if he ended up being the same as all of them.

She sighed, turning back to look at him once more. She had made up her mind and mentally put up walls around her. She would not let anyone get to her this time.

Marinette just hoped she was making the right decision.

"Okay." She couldn't help but whisper, but it sounded loud in the quiet of her room. "You can be my bodyguard."

Glancing at him, she pretended not to see Chat Noir's surprised triumphant grin and the pumping of his fist into the air as a sign of victory.

* * *

 **Ah, what should I say?**

 **It's definitely been a while and I'm kinda disappointed in myself by giving you a short and unsatisfactory chapter after being gone for so long. This was a filler chapter though, and it was needed for the next part of the story so I hope you'll bare with me this time and stick around.**

 **There were so many things that happened in these last few months. I just finished my junior year of high school and it truly the toughest year. If you're going to be a junior soon, then all I can say is good luck because you're gonna need it. Chemistry was super hard and it didn't help that my teacher didn't know how to teach. I had to put aside all the other things I was working on to focus on doing better in Chemistry. It's all good though because I finished the school year with high As and Bs.**

 **I also found BTS during this time and they helped me so much during those days. If you're part of ARMY, you know what I'm talking about. I'm truly grateful for them because I realize how positive of an impact they made on me and my life. I highly recommend their music to anyone who has avoided listening to their music or learning more about them, because I was that person a few months ago too.**

 **Finally, I want to thank everyone for the support I got during my short break. The amount of love I get for writing is so tremendous and it inspires me to work harder each and every day. I'm truly thankful to all of you guys who have continued to support me all this time. I love you guys and look forward to many more interesting chapters!**


End file.
